The Complete Poems
by Sexton, Anne-
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Summary
Author Biography
Table of Contents
| A Note on the Text | p. v |
| How It Was: Maxine Kumin on Anne Sexton | p. xix |
| To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960) | |
| You, Doctor Martin | p. 3 |
| Kind Sir: These Woods | p. 4 |
| Torn Down from Glory Daily | p. 5 |
| Music Swims Back to Me | p. 6 |
| The Bells | p. 7 |
| Elizabeth Gone | p. 8 |
| Some Foreign Letters | p. 9 |
| The Kite | p. 11 |
| Said the Poet to the Analyst | p. 12 |
| Venus and the Ark | p. 13 |
| Her Kind | p. 15 |
| The Exorcists | p. 16 |
| Where I Live in This Honorable House of the Laurel Tree | p. 17 |
| Portrait of an Old Woman on the College Tavern Wall | p. 18 |
| The Farmer's Wife | p. 19 |
| Funnel | p. 20 |
| The Expatriates | p. 21 |
| For Johnny Pole on the Forgotten Beach | p. 22 |
| Unknown Girl in the Maternity Ward | p. 24 |
| What's That | p. 25 |
| The Moss of His Skin | p. 26 |
| Hutch | p. 27 |
| Noon Walk on the Asylum Lawn | p. 27 |
| Ringing the Bells | p. 28 |
| Lullaby | p. 29 |
| The Lost Ingredient | p. 30 |
| The Road Back | p. 30 |
| The Waiting Head | p. 31 |
| Elegy in the Classroom | p. 32 |
| A Story for Rose on the Midnight Flight to Boston | p. 32 |
| For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further | p. 34 |
| The Double Image | p. 35 |
| The Division of Parts | p. 42 |
| All My Pretty Ones (1962) | |
| The Truth the Dead Know | p. 49 |
| All My Pretty Ones | p. 49 |
| Young | p. 51 |
| Lament | p. 52 |
| To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph | p. 53 |
| The Starry Night | p. 53 |
| Old Dwarf Heart | p. 54 |
| I Remember | p. 55 |
| The Operation | p. 56 |
| A Curse Against Elegies | p. 60 |
| The Abortion | p. 61 |
| With Mercy for the Greedy | p. 62 |
| For God While Sleeping | p. 63 |
| In the Deep Museum | p. 64 |
| Ghosts | p. 65 |
| The Fortress | p. 66 |
| Old | p. 69 |
| The Hangman | p. 69 |
| Woman with Girdle | p. 70 |
| The House | p. 71 |
| Water | p. 75 |
| Wallflower | p. 76 |
| Housewife | p. 77 |
| Doors, Doors, Doors | p. 78 |
| Letter Written on a Ferry While Crossing Long Island Sound | p. 81 |
| From the Garden | p. 84 |
| Love Song for K. Owyne | p. 85 |
| Flight | p. 86 |
| For Eleanor Boylan Talking with God | p. 87 |
| The Black Art | p. 88 |
| Letter Written During a January Northeaster | p. 89 |
| Live or Die (1966) | |
| Author's Note | p. 94 |
| And One for My Dame | p. 95 |
| The Sun | p. 96 |
| Flee on Your Donkey | p. 97 |
| Three Green Windows | p. 105 |
| Somewhere in Africa | p. 106 |
| Imitations of Drowning | p. 107 |
| Mother and Jack and the Rain | p. 109 |
| Consorting with Angels | p. 111 |
| The Legend of the One-eyed Man | p. 112 |
| Love Song | p. 115 |
| Man and Wife | p. 116 |
| Those Times... | p. 118 |
| Two Sons | p. 121 |
| To Lose the Earth | p. 123 |
| Sylvia's Death | p. 126 |
| Protestant Easter | p. 128 |
| For the Year of the Insane | p. 131 |
| Crossing the Atlantic | p. 133 |
| Walking in Paris | p. 135 |
| Menstruation at Forty | p. 137 |
| Christmas Eve | p. 139 |
| KE 6-8018 | p. 140 |
| Wanting to Die | p. 142 |
| The Wedding Night | p. 144 |
| Little Girl, My String Bean, My Lovely Woman | p. 145 |
| A Little Uncomplicated Hymn | p. 148 |
| Your Face on the Dog's Neck | p. 152 |
| Self in 1958 | p. 155 |
| Suicide Note | p. 156 |
| In the Beach House | p. 159 |
| Cripples and Other Stories | p. 160 |
| Pain for a Daughter | p. 163 |
| The Addict | p. 165 |
| Live | p. 167 |
| Love Poems (1969) | |
| The Touch | p. 173 |
| The Kiss | p. 174 |
| The Breast | p. 175 |
| The Interrogation of the Man of Many Hearts | p. 176 |
| That Day | p. 180 |
| In Celebration of My Uterus | p. 181 |
| The Nude Swim | p. 183 |
| Song for a Red Nightgown | p. 184 |
| Loving the Killer | p. 185 |
| For My Lover, Returning to His Wife | p. 188 |
| The Break | p. 190 |
| It Is a Spring Afternoon | p. 193 |
| Just Once | p. 194 |
| Again and Again and Again | p. 195 |
| You All Know the Story of the Other Woman | p. 196 |
| Moon Song, Woman Song | p. 196 |
| The Ballad of the Lonely Masturbator | p. 198 |
| Barefoot | p. 199 |
| The Papa and Mama Dance | p. 200 |
| Now | p. 201 |
| Us | p. 202 |
| Mr. Mine | p. 204 |
| Song for a Lady | p. 204 |
| Knee Song | p. 205 |
| Eighteen Days Without You | p. 205 |
| Transformations (1971) | |
| The Gold Key | p. 223 |
| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | p. 224 |
| The White Snake | p. 229 |
| Rumpelstiltskin | p. 233 |
| The Little Peasant | p. 237 |
| Godfather Death | p. 242 |
| Rapunzel | p. 244 |
| Iron Hans | p. 249 |
| Cinderella | p. 255 |
| One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes | p. 258 |
| The Wonderful Musician | p. 264 |
| Red Riding Hood | p. 267 |
| The Maiden Without Hands | p. 273 |
| The Twelve Dancing Princesses | p. 276 |
| The Frog Prince | p. 281 |
| Hansel and Gretel | p. 286 |
| Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) | p. 290 |
| The Book of Folly (1972) | |
| Thirty Poems | |
| The Ambition Bird | p. 299 |
| The Doctor of the Heart | p. 301 |
| Oh | p. 302 |
| Sweeney | p. 304 |
| Mother and Daughter | p. 305 |
| The Wifebeater | p. 307 |
| The Firebombers | p. 308 |
| The One-Legged Man | p. 308 |
| The Assassin | p. 310 |
| Going Gone | p. 311 |
| Anna Who Was Mad | p. 312 |
| The Hex | p. 313 |
| Dreaming the Breasts | p. 314 |
| The Red Shoes | p. 315 |
| The Other | p. 317 |
| The Silence | p. 318 |
| The Hoarder | p. 319 |
| Killing the Spring | p. 320 |
| The Death of the Fathers | p. 322 |
| Oysters | p. 322 |
| How We Danced | p. 323 |
| The Boat | p. 324 |
| Santa | p. 325 |
| Friends | p. 327 |
| Begat | p. 329 |
| Angels of the Love Affair | p. 332 |
| Angel of Fire and Genitals | p. 332 |
| Angel of Clean Sheets | p. 333 |
| Angel of Flight and Sleigh Bells | p. 333 |
| Angel of Hope and Calendars | p. 334 |
| Angel of Blizzards and Blackouts | p. 335 |
| Angel of Beach Houses and Picnics | p. 335 |
| The Jesus Papers | |
| Jesus Suckles | p. 337 |
| Jesus Awake | p. 338 |
| Jesus Asleep | p. 338 |
| Jesus Raises Up the Harlot | p. 339 |
| Jesus Cooks | p. 340 |
| Jesus Summons Forth | p. 341 |
| Jesus Dies | p. 342 |
| Jesus Unborn | p. 343 |
| The Author of the Jesus Papers Speaks | p. 344 |
| The Death Notebooks (1974) | |
| Gods | p. 349 |
| Making a Living | p. 350 |
| For Mr. Death Who Stands with His Door Open | p. 351 |
| Faustus and I | p. 353 |
| The Death Baby | p. 354 |
| Dreams | p. 354 |
| The Dy-dee Doll | p. 355 |
| Seven Times | p. 356 |
| Madonna | p. 356 |
| Max | p. 357 |
| Baby | p. 357 |
| Rats Live on No Evil Star | p. 359 |
| Grandfather, Your Wound | p. 361 |
| Baby Picture | p. 362 |
| The Furies | p. 363 |
| The Fury of Beautiful Bones | p. 363 |
| The Fury of Hating Eyes | p. 364 |
| The Fury of Guitars and Sopranos | p. 365 |
| The Fury of Earth | p. 366 |
| The Fury of Jewels and Coal | p. 367 |
| The Fury of Cooks | p. 367 |
| The Fury of Cocks | p. 369 |
| The Fury of Abandonment | p. 370 |
| The Fury of Overshoes | p. 371 |
| The Fury of Rain Storms | p. 372 |
| The Fury of Flowers and Worms | p. 373 |
| The Fury of God's Good-bye | p. 374 |
| The Fury of Sundays | p. 375 |
| The Fury of Sunsets | p. 376 |
| The Fury of Sunrises | p. 377 |
| Praying on a 707 | p. 378 |
| Clothes | p. 380 |
| Mary's Song | p. 381 |
| God's Backside | p. 382 |
| Jesus Walking | p. 383 |
| Hurry Up Please It's Time | p. 384 |
| O Ye Tongues | p. 396 |
| First Psalm | p. 396 |
| Second Psalm | p. 398 |
| Third Psalm | p. 399 |
| Fourth Psalm | p. 401 |
| Fifth Psalm | p. 403 |
| Sixth Psalm | p. 405 |
| Seventh Psalm | p. 406 |
| Eighth Psalm | p. 408 |
| Ninth Psalm | p. 409 |
| Tenth Psalm | p. 411 |
| The Awful Rowing Toward God (1975) | |
| Rowing | p. 417 |
| The Civil War | p. 418 |
| The Children | p. 419 |
| Two Hands | p. 421 |
| The Room of My Life | p. 422 |
| The Witch's Life | p. 423 |
| The Earth Falls Down | p. 424 |
| Courage | p. 425 |
| Riding the Elevator into the Sky | p. 426 |
| When Man Enters Woman | p. 428 |
| The Fish That Walked | p. 428 |
| The Fallen Angels | p. 430 |
| The Earth | p. 431 |
| After Auschwitz | p. 432 |
| The Poet of Ignorance | p. 433 |
| The Sermon of the Twelve Acknowledgments | p. 435 |
| The Evil Eye | p. 437 |
| The Dead Heart | p. 439 |
| The Play | p. 440 |
| The Sickness Unto Death | p. 441 |
| Locked Doors | p. 442 |
| The Evil Seekers | p. 443 |
| The Wall | p. 445 |
| Is It True? | p. 446 |
| Welcome Morning | p. 455 |
| Jesus, the Actor, Plays the Holy Ghost | p. 456 |
| The God-Monger | p. 457 |
| What the Bird with the Human Head Knew | p. 458 |
| The Fire Thief | p. 460 |
| The Big Heart | p. 462 |
| Words | p. 463 |
| Mothers | p. 464 |
| Doctors | p. 465 |
| Frenzy | p. 466 |
| Snow | p. 467 |
| Small Wire | p. 468 |
| The Saints Come Marching In | p. 469 |
| Not So. Not So. | p. 472 |
| The Rowing Endeth | p. 473 |
| Posthumously Published Work | |
| 45 Mercy Street (1976) | |
| Editor's Note | p. 479 |
| Beginning the Hegira | |
| 45 Mercy Street | p. 481 |
| Talking to Sheep | p. 484 |
| The Falling Dolls | p. 486 |
| The Money Swing | p. 487 |
| Food | p. 488 |
| The Child Bearers | p. 489 |
| The Taker | p. 490 |
| The Risk | p. 491 |
| Praying to Big Jack | p. 491 |
| Red Roses | p. 492 |
| The Shout | p. 493 |
| Keeping the City | p. 494 |
| Bestiary U.S.A. | |
| Bat | p. 497 |
| Hog | p. 498 |
| Porcupine | p. 498 |
| Hornet | p. 499 |
| Star-Nosed Mole | p. 500 |
| Snail | p. 501 |
| Lobster | p. 501 |
| Snake | p. 502 |
| Moose | p. 502 |
| Sheep | p. 503 |
| Cockroach | p. 503 |
| Raccoon | p. 504 |
| Seal | p. 505 |
| Earthworm | p. 505 |
| Whale | p. 506 |
| Horse | p. 507 |
| June Bug | p. 507 |
| Gull | p. 508 |
| The Divorce Papers | |
| Where It Was At Back Then | p. 509 |
| The Wedlock | p. 510 |
| Landscape Winter | p. 511 |
| Despair | p. 512 |
| Divorce | p. 512 |
| Waking Alone | p. 513 |
| Bayonet | p. 515 |
| The Wedding Ring Dance | p. 516 |
| When the Glass of My Body Broke | p. 517 |
| The Break Away | p. 518 |
| The Stand-Ins | p. 526 |
| The Love Plant | p. 527 |
| Killing the Love | p. 529 |
| The Red Dance | p. 530 |
| The Inventory of Goodbye | p. 532 |
| The Lost Lie | p. 533 |
| End, Middle, Beginning | p. 534 |
| Eating the Leftovers | |
| Cigarettes and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women | p. 537 |
| The Passion of the Mad Rabbit | p. 538 |
| The Angel Food Dogs | p. 539 |
| Leaves That Talk | p. 540 |
| "Daddy" Warbucks | p. 543 |
| Divorce, Thy Name Is Woman | p. 545 |
| The Fierceness of Female | p. 546 |
| The Big Boots of Pain | p. 547 |
| Demon | p. 549 |
| The Sea Corpse | p. 551 |
| There You Were | p. 552 |
| The Consecrating Mother | p. 554 |
| Words for Dr. Y. (1978) | |
| Editor's Note | p. 559 |
| Letters to Dr. Y. (1960-1970) | p. 561 |
| Poems 1971-1973 | |
| Buying the Whore | p. 581 |
| To Like, To Love | p. 581 |
| The Surgeon | p. 583 |
| Speaking Bitterness | p. 584 |
| Telephone | p. 585 |
| Yellow | p. 586 |
| The Death King | p. 587 |
| The Errand | p. 588 |
| The Twelve-Thousand-Day Honeymoon | p. 589 |
| Scorpio, Bad Spider, Die: The Horoscope Poems | |
| Madame Arrives in the Mail | p. 591 |
| January 1st | p. 592 |
| January 19th | p. 593 |
| January 24th | p. 594 |
| February 3rd | p. 595 |
| February 4th | p. 596 |
| February 11th | p. 597 |
| February 17th | p. 598 |
| February 20th | p. 599 |
| February 21st | p. 600 |
| March 4th | p. 601 |
| March 7th | p. 601 |
| May 30th | p. 602 |
| August 8th | p. 602 |
| August 17th | p. 603 |
| Last Poems | |
| Admonitions to a Special Person | p. 607 |
| In Excelsis | p. 608 |
| Uses | p. 610 |
| As It Was Written | p. 611 |
| Lessons in Hunger | p. 612 |
| Love Letter Written in a Burning Building | p. 613 |
| Index of Titles | p. 617 |
| Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved. |
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