Anne Sexton began writing poetry as a form of therapy.  As her career progressed, not only was she a poet but also a playwright.  Anne's writing really started to take off in the late 1950's and in 1957 she became a member of many writing groups in Boston and met writers including Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and Maxine Kumin (Modern American Poetry). 

 

Reviews of her poetry were positive from the start.  To Bedlam and Part Way Back was just the beginning.  People found meaning in her poetry and although much of what she wrote wasn't true life, society could relate. 

 

During her career, Anne received many honors.  She received the Pulitzer PRize in 1966 for Live or Die.  Over the years she also received the Levinson Prize, the Shelley Memorial Prize, and an invitation from Harvard to do the Morris Gray reading (Modern American Poetry).  Anne wasn't just a writer though, she was also a professor at Universities such as Colgate and Boston. 

 

Throughout her career, society was changing at an a amazing rate.  Women were no longer seen at just the housewife, feminism was powerful, war was a constant topic.  Anne included many of these topics in her writings and it was received well by society.  Although Anne had a great career, toward the end she began to write some religious poetry that her readings weren't so fond of. 

That being said, her effect on the poetry world is incredible.  Her writing was successful while she was alive and continues to be read and appreciated after she has passed.