Question 1

Confessional poetry began in the mid 1950's and is described as "personal poetry." Poets shared their feelings about their personal losses, they expressed their relationships, and depression. Poets such as Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath used this type of poetry. Robert Lowell's book Life Studies was about his life and how he dealt with personal issues. Sylvia Plath was a student of Lowell's and she noted that his work influenced hers. It is said that Sylvia Plath's poem "daddy" is one of the most well known confessional poems. The poem had a lot of references from her father to her childhood nursery rhymes. This poem is considered a confessional poem because Sylvia Plath describes her personal life and how she feels about her father.