Date of Graduation
Spring 2025
Degree
Master of Arts in English
Department
English
Committee Chair
Sara Burge
Abstract
This thesis begins with a critical introduction which analyzes varying forms—such as the inverted sonnet—the schools of confessional and post-confessional poetry—and how they differ—and inspiration used for my creative work in poetry. I claim to be a poet who writes primarily based on personal memories. I chronicle my initial encounters with poetry as a teenager through the lens of confessionalism, as demonstrated by Eavan Boland and Anne Sexton. To exhibit my gained knowledge, I reference poetic theorists such as Richard Hugo, Charles Olson, Adrienne Rich, Mary Ruefle, and Gertrude Stein when analyzing which theories and dialogues influence my poetic style. Breath, sound, and pace are the structural elements I explain and covet, as all the theorists listed prioritize voice over the look of poetry on the page. This is demonstrated in ways such as lack of punctuation and defying typical grammatical rules. I also reference poets such as Ai Ogawa, Ruefle and Diane Seuss when deciding which poets most greatly influence my poetry as produced in my graduate degree. These poets are examples of female confessional poets, Ruefle and Seuss often implement a stream of consciousness that exhibits Olson’s idea of breath, as well as emphasizes Ruefle’s essay on remembering. Additionally, I situate my poetry among the contemporaries listed, demonstrating comparability and contrast. I compare myself to Ruefle in the means of writing about memory, arguing that authoring memories in the poetic frame leads to catharsis, improved self-awareness, and enhanced self-confidence when sharing personal work amongst peers and teachers.
Keywords
creative writing, poetry, female poet, confessional, post-confessional, inverted form, breath, composition, memory, first-person narrative, mental illness
Subject Categories
Poetry
Copyright
© Molly K. Del Rossi
Recommended Citation
Del Rossi, Molly K., "What I Was and Who I Am, and before and after" (2025). Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 4046.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/4046
