Sexton’s “Wanting to Die”, an Exploration of the Suicidal Mind The poem “Wanting to Die” by Anne Sexton, explores a battle with life The speaker knows of the goodness of the world, yet she is unable to truly experience it because of her suicidal tendencies. She understands her feeling as more of an obsession with death rather than a hate for life. Though the speaker is still alive, she relapses, every so often, into the darkness of her soul. Through her vivid use of imagery, Sexton creates and elucidates the speaker’s susceptibility to suicide. It is apparent from the first stanza the speaker finds her life lacking. The first lines of the poem describe the speaker’s ordinary days: “Since you ask, most days I cannot remember. / I walk in my clothing, unmarked by that voyage.”( 1-2) The speaker does not think about her bouts with depression. She merely walks in her clothing, or goes about her normal daily activities, unhindered by her past unhappiness. Yet, the third line, “Then the almost unnamable lust returns”, explains her sudden regression from amiable to despondent feelings. After examining a mere three lines the reader already has a strong grasp of the poem’s theme. The next stanza incorporates a slightly happier tone than the first. “Even then I have nothing against life. / I know well the blades of grass you mention, / the furniture you have placed under the sun.” (4-6) The speaker realizes all the good of the world around her-- the things as basic as, like the freshness of grass and the warmth of sunshine. She respects them as do all people. The tone present here is much more up-lifting than in the first stanza and the reader begins to have hope for the speaker. We hope she sees the beauty in life and overcomes her depression. Also this stanza presents the second party, a spouse or mother possibly, attempting to help the speaker see the simpl...
