Confessional theory is the term that Rosenthal, a critic of America, used in 『new poets』 in 1967 for the first time. As the term confession is lexicologically defined to be the psychological element that is an indirect background of all the litera...
Confessional theory is the term that Rosenthal, a critic of America, used in 『new poets』 in 1967 for the first time. As the term confession is lexicologically defined to be the psychological element that is an indirect background of all the literature as a mechanism emphasizing introspection, it si characterized by strong expression or exposure of the inside due to a first-person priority, and those poems, through which a poet communicate the personal subject autobiographically with his/her own voice, has been called a confessional poem.
According to literary classification, confessional poetry means narrative, lyric verses that date back to Robert Lowell's [Life Studies](1959), which is a lyric poem representing the poet's real life and inner secret experience.
In contrast to romantic poetry that deals with the situation and feeling of a poet himself/herself, confessional poetry is distinguished from romantic poetry in terms of the subject matter and theme. Specifically, confessional poetry has different characteristics from romantic poetry in that a poet speaks plainly and frankly shocking or clinical details about himself/herself without embarrassment.
This kind of poetry is enjoyed by many American poets such as Allen Gingberg, typical writer of bit generation, Sylvis Plath, Anne Sexton, and John Berryman. Especially, Sylvis Plath has been called a stereotype of confessional poetry, with her tragic history of life.
When some had suggested that literature is, in any form, characterized by confession, others had taken a skeptical response to Rosenthal's definition of confessional poetry at that times, what poems written by some poets of specific ages can be classified into confessional poetry. But, Rosenthal has paved the way for critics of confessional poetry, which the definition that the most important theme of a new poem is a secret life of a poet himself/herself who suffer from psychological crisis and pain. At times, the poet's own psychological crisis can be realized as a symbol of national and cultural crisis.
Confessional poetry has strong self-reflexiveness, and is relatively free from self-censorship since it discloses autobiographical, private discord frankly. In Korea, Choisengja's poems can be classified into confessional poetry, and some of Leeyeonjoo's poems have tended to be confessional.
In this paper, considering the characteristics specified above, I'd like to examine how to create a confessional poem focusing on my works.