I see both a lot of connection between the works of this unit and also, at the same time, a lot of differences between the works of this unit and the works we’ve covered so far in other units. This unit has showed us a lot in the way of diverse writers writing about similar situations, while in the past, our units have not been so diverse.
For the Middle Generation poets, we have a diverse group of writers writing about very different topics, yet all show us their personal experiences and together, these works work well together as a unit. We have both men and women writing, both people of color and white people writing- all of these people have had experiences that have moved them and that have lead them to writing about them, all of them writing intentionally for the reader to understand their deeper intention and meaning. While in the previous units we’ve had units of both white people and people of color, hardly have we had both in the same unit, writing about similar topics.
For the Confessional Poets unit, we have both men and women writing about “taboo” topics such as mental health/illness and deeper emotions. This is uncommon and has yet to be covered in the previous units. So far, we have talked about events affecting the writer but never have we done so in such an intimate, deep level as we have in this unit. This unit differs from the rest as we dive into deeper topics that are unseen before this time.
As we progress in these works, we see different topics coming to light as a result of the time changing, and the future coming closer and closer. While in the previous units, topics such as mental illness and the struggles of a white person weren’t discussed much, but as we dive into works of literature that occur later and later in the years, we see these topics arise as a way of everyone telling their stories, whether they be a man or woman, or a person of color or white person.
sydney poynter 