“The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

“The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton, first published in 1960, is an ekphrastic work, meaning it draws inspiration from a visual artwork, in this case, Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting of the same name. Sexton’s poem captures the swirling energy and emotional intensity of the painting through vivid imagery and a confessional tone. She doesn’t shy away from darkness, weaving themes of mortality and desire for escape into the beautiful chaos of the starry night.

Text: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

Annotations: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

Text	Annotation
The town does not exist	The opening line suggests a sense of unreality or surrealism, implying that the town described in the poem is more of a metaphorical or symbolic construct rather than a literal place.
except where one black-haired tree slips	The imagery of a solitary tree, described as “black-haired,” evokes a sense of loneliness and perhaps foreboding. The tree “slips” into the sky, a surreal image that blurs the boundary between the earthly and celestial realms.
up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.	The comparison of the tree to a drowned woman adds to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the poem. The phrase “hot sky” suggests a stifling or oppressive environment, contributing to the sense of discomfort or unease.
The town is silent.	This line reinforces the idea of the town’s non-existence or emptiness. The silence could symbolize a lack of life or vitality, further emphasizing the desolation of the setting.
The night boils with eleven stars.	The image of the night “boiling” with stars is vivid and striking, suggesting a dynamic and intense sky. The specific mention of “eleven stars” may carry symbolic significance, though the exact meaning is open to interpretation.
Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die.	The repetition of “starry starry night” emphasizes the speaker’s fascination or obsession with the night sky. The declaration “This is how I want to die” suggests a longing for a transcendental or sublime experience associated with the beauty and mystery of the stars.
It moves. They are all alive.	This sudden shift in perspective, referring to the stars as “alive,” adds to the surreal and otherworldly quality of the poem. The notion that celestial bodies possess life or agency challenges conventional understandings of the universe.
Even the moon bulges in its orange irons	The moon, typically depicted as serene or ethereal, is described here in a more ominous or constrained manner. The image of the moon “bulging” in “orange irons” suggests a sense of captivity or imprisonment, evoking themes of constraint or limitation.
to push children, like a god, from its eye.	The imagery of the moon pushing “children” from its eye is both unsettling and symbolic. It implies a creative or generative force associated with the moon, likening it to a deity giving birth or bestowing life upon the world.
The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.	The introduction of the “old unseen serpent” adds a mythic or mystical element to the poem. The serpent, often a symbol of primal forces or chaos, is depicted here as devouring the stars, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and destruction.
Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die:	The repetition of the refrain underscores the speaker’s fixation on the night sky as a metaphor for death or transcendence. The statement “This is how I want to die” reinforces the idea of longing for a profound or sublime experience beyond the constraints of earthly existence.
into that rushing beast of the night,	The imagery of the night as a “rushing beast” reinforces its dynamic and powerful nature. The night is portrayed as a force to be reckoned with, capable of consuming and transforming the speaker.
sucked up by that great dragon,	The metaphor of the night as a “great dragon” continues the theme of the night as a formidable and primal force. Dragons are often associated with mystery, power, and danger, heightening the sense of awe and dread in the poem.
to split	The word “split” suggests a sudden and violent separation, perhaps implying a rupture or transformation of the speaker’s existence.
from my life with no flag,	The absence of a “flag” symbolizes the lack of any symbolic markers or ceremonies accompanying the speaker’s departure from life. The image suggests a departure without fanfare or ceremony, underscoring the speaker’s desire for a simple and unadorned death.
no belly,	The mention of “belly” may refer to the physical body or corporeal existence, implying a departure from the material realm.
no cry.	The absence of a “cry” further emphasizes the quiet and understated nature of the speaker’s envisioned death. The image suggests a peaceful and serene passing, devoid of any outward expressions of pain or distress.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

Literary/Poetic Device	Example	Explanation
Alliteration	“The town is silent.”	Alliteration occurs when words in close proximity begin with the same consonant sound, creating rhythm and emphasis. In this line, the repetition of the “t” sound draws attention to the silence of the town.
Allusion	“Even the moon bulges in its orange irons”	This line alludes to the moon being constrained or imprisoned in “orange irons,” which could symbolize limitations or constraints imposed on the celestial body.
Anaphora	“Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die.”	Anaphora involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines. In this case, “Oh starry starry night!” is repeated for emphasis, reinforcing the speaker’s fascination with the night sky.
Assonance	“The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.”	Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words in close proximity. Here, the repeated “uh” sound in “unseen” and “serpent” creates a sense of unease and mystery, enhancing the ominous atmosphere of the line.
Consonance	“into that rushing beast of the night,”	Consonance involves the repetition of consonant sounds within words in close proximity. The repeated “s” and “t” sounds in “rushing,” “beast,” and “night” create a sense of movement and urgency, enhancing the imagery of the line.
Enjambment	“to push children, like a god, from its eye.”	Enjambment occurs when a line of poetry continues onto the next line without a pause or punctuation. It can create a sense of fluidity and momentum, as seen in this line where the description flows seamlessly from one line to the next.
Hyperbole	“The night boils with eleven stars.”	Hyperbole involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect. While nights cannot literally “boil” with stars, this image exaggerates the intensity and vibrancy of the star-filled sky, emphasizing the speaker’s awe and wonder.
Imagery	“up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.”	Imagery involves the use of vivid language to create sensory experiences for the reader. Here, the image of a tree rising “like a drowned woman” evokes a sense of haunting beauty and suggests a surreal connection between earth and sky.
Metaphor	“The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.”	A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.” In this line, the night sky is metaphorically likened to an “unseen serpent” that consumes the stars, suggesting a primal and mysterious force.
Onomatopoeia	“The night boils with eleven stars.”	Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate or suggest the sound associated with their meaning. Here, “boils” evokes a sense of bubbling or churning, enhancing the vividness of the description of the star-filled sky.
Oxymoron	“The night boils with eleven stars.”	An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. In this line, “boils” and “stars” seem contradictory since stars are associated with coolness and night with calmness. However, the juxtaposition creates a vivid and striking image.
Personification	“Even the moon bulges in its orange irons”	Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human entities. Here, the moon is personified as bulging and being constrained in “orange irons,” giving it a sense of agency and emotion.
Repetition	“Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die.”	Repetition involves the repeated use of words or phrases for emphasis. In this line, the repetition of “starry starry night” emphasizes the speaker’s fixation on the night sky, highlighting its significance in their desire for a particular kind of death.
Simile	“like a god, from its eye.”	A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Here, the act of the moon pushing children is likened to that of a god, implying a sense of divine power or authority.
Symbolism	“The town does not exist”	Symbolism involves the use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts beyond their literal meaning. In this line, the non-existent town may symbolize a sense of emptiness or unreality, setting the tone for the surreal and symbolic imagery throughout the poem.
Synecdoche	“The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.”	Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa. Here, “the stars” represent the entire night sky, suggesting that the serpent consumes the entirety of the celestial expanse.
Tone	“The town is silent.”	Tone refers to the attitude or feeling conveyed by a writer or speaker. In this line, the tone is somber and desolate, reflecting the emptiness and quietness of the town described.
Metonymy	“push children, like a god, from its eye.”	Metonymy substitutes the name of one thing with something closely associated with it. Here, “eye” is used to represent the moon itself, implying that the moon’s power resides in its gaze or its ability to affect the world.
Irony	“to split from my life with no flag, no belly, no cry.”	Irony occurs when there’s a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens. In this line, the speaker expresses a desire for a death devoid of ceremony or pain, which contrasts with societal expectations of death being marked by rituals and emotion.

Themes: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

• Theme 1: Mortality and Longing for Death
• The poem expresses a deep longing for death, with the speaker yearning to be consumed by the vast and mysterious night sky. This desire for death is not driven by a sense of hopelessness or despair, but rather a desire to transcend the limitations of human existence. The speaker is drawn to the idea of dissolving into the universe, becoming one with the stars and the night. This is evident in the lines “Oh starry starry night! This is how / I want to die” and “into that rushing beast of the night, / sucked up by that great dragon, to split / from my life with no flag, / no belly, / no cry.” The speaker sees death as a liberation from the constraints of life, a chance to experience the infinite and the eternal.
• Theme 2: The Power of Nature
• The poem highlights the awe-inspiring power of nature, with the night sky and stars being depicted as alive and dynamic. The speaker is in awe of the natural world, describing the night as “boiling” with stars and the moon as a force that can “push children, like a god, from its eye.” The use of vivid imagery and metaphor emphasizes the speaker’s sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world. The lines “The night boils with eleven stars” and “The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars” illustrate the speaker’s fascination with the celestial bodies and their movements. The poem suggests that nature has the power to inspire, to awe, and to transform.
• Theme 3: Escapism and Freedom
• The poem suggests a desire to escape the constraints of life and merge with the vastness of the universe. The speaker wants to be “sucked up” by the night and “split” from their life, indicating a longing for freedom and release. This desire for escape is not driven by a sense of desperation or hopelessness, but rather a desire for transcendence and transformation. The speaker sees the night sky as a symbol of the infinite and the eternal, and wants to experience that sense of boundlessness. The lines “into that rushing beast of the night, / sucked up by that great dragon, to split / from my life with no flag, / no belly, / no cry” suggest a desire to shed the burdens of human existence and become one with the universe.
• Theme 4: The Sublime and the Unknown
• The poem explores the idea of the sublime, with the speaker being drawn to the mysterious and overwhelming beauty of the night sky. The use of imagery and metaphor creates a sense of wonder and awe, emphasizing the speaker’s sense of smallness and insignificance in the face of the vast universe. The lines “The town does not exist / except where one black-haired tree slips / up like a drowned woman into the hot sky” and “The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars” evoke a sense of mystery and otherness. The poem suggests that the unknown is not something to be feared, but rather something to be embraced and explored. The speaker is drawn to the unknown, and sees it as a source of inspiration and transformation.

Literary Theories and “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

Literary Theory	Explanation	Example from “The Starry Night”
Psychoanalytic Theory	Psychoanalytic theory explores the unconscious mind, desires, and conflicts, often focusing on symbolism, imagery, and language as manifestations of inner psychological states. In “The Starry Night,” the poem’s surreal imagery and symbolic representations can be interpreted through a psychoanalytic lens as reflections of the speaker’s inner turmoil, desires, and fears.	The image of the “black-haired tree slipping up like a drowned woman into the hot sky” may symbolize the speaker’s subconscious thoughts or fears about death and the unknown.
Feminist Theory	Feminist theory examines literature through the lens of gender, power dynamics, and societal norms, highlighting how texts portray and reinforce gender roles, stereotypes, and inequalities. In “The Starry Night,” feminist analysis might focus on how the poem challenges or reinforces traditional notions of femininity, agency, and autonomy.	The portrayal of the moon as “bulging in its orange irons” could be interpreted as a commentary on the constraints and limitations imposed on women by society, symbolizing the suppression of female power and freedom.
Reader-Response Theory	Reader-response theory emphasizes the role of the reader in interpreting and creating meaning from a text, focusing on individual responses, interpretations, and experiences. In “The Starry Night,” reader-response analysis would consider how readers’ personal backgrounds, beliefs, and emotions shape their understanding and appreciation of the poem.	Different readers may interpret the line “Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die” differently based on their own experiences and perspectives, leading to diverse interpretations of the poem’s themes and imagery.

Critical Questions about “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

• Question 1: How does the speaker’s use of imagery and metaphor reveal their ambivalence towards death and the natural world?
• The speaker’s use of imagery and metaphor in the poem reveals a complex and ambivalent relationship with death and the natural world. On one hand, the speaker is drawn to the beauty and power of the night sky, describing it as “boiling” with stars and comparing it to a “rushing beast” that can consume them. This suggests a desire to be overwhelmed and transformed by the natural world. On the other hand, the speaker also describes the night as a force that can “swallow up” the stars and “push children” from its eye, suggesting a sense of danger and violence. This ambivalence is exemplified in the lines “Oh starry starry night! This is how / I want to die” and “into that rushing beast of the night, / sucked up by that great dragon, to split / from my life with no flag, / no belly, / no cry.”
• Question 2: How does the poem’s use of personification and anthropomorphism reflect the speaker’s feelings of disconnection and disorientation?
• The poem’s use of personification and anthropomorphism reflects the speaker’s feelings of disconnection and disorientation by attributing human-like qualities to non-human entities. The town is described as “silent” and the night is personified as a “beast” that can “suck up” the speaker. The moon is also described as a force that can “push children” from its eye, suggesting a sense of agency and power. This use of personification and anthropomorphism creates a sense of disorientation and disconnection, as the speaker seems to be lost in a world that is both familiar and strange. This is exemplified in the lines “The town does not exist / except where one black-haired tree slips / up like a drowned woman into the hot sky” and “The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.”
• Question 3: How does the speaker’s use of repetition and rhyme contribute to the overall tone and meaning of the poem?
• The speaker’s use of repetition and rhyme in the poem contributes to a sense of urgency and desperation, emphasizing the speaker’s desire to escape the constraints of human existence. The repetition of the phrase “Oh starry starry night” creates a sense of rhythm and musicality, while the rhyme scheme adds a sense of structure and control. This contrast between the speaker’s desire for freedom and the strict rhyme and meter of the poem creates a sense of tension and irony, highlighting the speaker’s sense of confinement and longing. This is exemplified in the lines “Oh starry starry night! This is how / I want to die” and “into that rushing beast of the night, / sucked up by that great dragon, to split / from my life with no flag, / no belly, / no cry.”
• Question 4: How does the poem’s use of imagery and symbolism reflect the speaker’s feelings of disconnection from the world around them?
• The poem’s use of imagery and symbolism reflects the speaker’s feelings of disconnection from the world around them by creating a sense of distance and detachment. The speaker describes the town as “silent” and the night as a “beast” that can consume them, suggesting a sense of isolation and disconnection. The use of imagery and symbolism also creates a sense of otherness, as the speaker describes the natural world in terms that are both familiar and strange. This is exemplified in the lines “The town does not exist / except where one black-haired tree slips / up like a drowned woman into the hot sky” and “The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.” The use of imagery and symbolism creates a sense of disconnection and detachment, highlighting the speaker’s feelings of isolation and disorientation.

Literary Works Similar to “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

1. “When You Are Old”by W.B. Yeats
   • This poem reflects on aging, beauty, and the passage of time, similar to the contemplative tone of “The Starry Night.” Both poems explore themes of longing, nostalgia, and the transient nature of life.
2. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock“by T.S. Eliot
   • Like “The Starry Night,” Eliot’s poem delves into themes of existential angst, isolation, and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. Both works employ rich imagery and symbolism to convey the complexities of human experience.
3. “Diving into the Wreck”by Adrienne Rich
   • Rich’s poem explores themes of self-discovery, transformation, and the quest for identity, echoing the introspective nature of “The Starry Night.” Both works grapple with the challenges of navigating inner and outer landscapes.
4. “Ode to a Nightingale”by John Keats
   • Keats’s ode meditates on themes of beauty, mortality, and the transcendent power of art, resonating with the longing and admiration expressed in “The Starry Night.” Both poems evoke a sense of awe and wonder in the face of the natural world.
5. “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening“by Robert Frost
   • Frost’s poem captures moments of contemplation and solitude in nature, much like the reflective mood of “The Starry Night.” Both works explore themes of solitude, beauty, and the allure of the unknown.

Suggested Readings: “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

• McSpadden, Katherine Frances. “The self in the poetry of Anne Sexton.” (1984).
• Mizejewski, Linda. “Sappho to Sexton: Woman Uncontained.” College English 35.3 (1973): 340-345.
• Chiang, River Ya-ling. “Graphic Poetry: How To Help Students Get The Most Out Of Pictures.” Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC) 10.3 (2013): 179-182.
• Unger, Shannon Melody. The Starry Night: Jake Heggie, Vincent Van Gogh, and the consolation of the stars. The University of Memphis, 2011.
• Broomell, Sarah Elizabeth. Transformation and Connection through Art Song and Jake Heggie’s” The Starry Night”. University of California, Santa Barbara, 2014.

Representative Quotations “The Starry Night” by Anne Sexton

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspectives
“The town does not exist except where one black-haired tree slips up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.”	The speaker describes a surreal landscape where a solitary tree rises into the sky, suggesting a dreamlike or symbolic reality.	Surrealism: The imagery reflects the surreal and dreamlike qualities often associated with Surrealist art and literature.
“The night boils with eleven stars.”	The speaker observes the intense and vibrant night sky filled with stars, evoking a sense of energy and vitality.	New Criticism: Focuses on the textual analysis of imagery and symbolism to uncover deeper meanings within the poem.
“Even the moon bulges in its orange irons to push children, like a god, from its eye.”	The moon is depicted as a powerful and imposing figure, exerting its influence over the world.	Feminist Theory: Explores the representation of gender dynamics and power structures, highlighting the moon’s agency and authority.
“The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.”	A mysterious serpent consumes the stars, symbolizing the cyclical nature of creation and destruction.	Psychoanalytic Theory: Interprets the serpent as a symbol of the unconscious mind and primal instincts, exploring the speaker’s inner conflicts and desires.
“into that rushing beast of the night, sucked up by that great dragon, to split from my life with no flag, no belly, no cry.”	The speaker expresses a desire for a death devoid of ceremony or pain, envisioning a departure into the unknown.	Existentialism: Reflects themes of existential angst and the search for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe.
“Oh starry starry night! This is how I want to die.”	The speaker expresses a longing for a transcendental or sublime experience associated with the beauty and mystery of the night sky.	Reader-Response Theory: Emphasizes the role of the reader in interpreting and creating meaning from the text, allowing for diverse individual responses.