“The Addict” by Anne Sexton: Poem Analysis

In the poem “The Addict,” Anne Sexton vividly describes the experiences and feelings of an addicted person who is not understood by other people and struggles with the addiction. The range of emotions from pleasure to suffering that the narrator is exposed to when she continues taking pills is supported by the expressive language and poetic instruments Anne Sexton uses. To illustrate the ambiguity of her addiction, the narrator uses similes comparing her dependence with marriage, war, or musical tennis matches. The reader of the poem obtains an inside view of what pills cause the narrator to experience, and this experience is both good and bad. On the one hand, it is the expression of the desire to die, and on the other hand, it is the willingness to live. Thus, the poem creates a vivid picture of addiction and the ambiguity it is characterized by.