Anne Sexton’s poem “Letter Written on a Ferry While Crossing Long Island Sound”—which is far too long to include with this brief reflection—begins in the middle of things. The speaker says, “I am surprised to see / that the ocean is still going on.” With that single sentence the speaker alludes to a history not ever fully disclosed to the reader. Hints exist, though, such as the “dearest” to whom the speaker directs her thoughts. Other words suggest a fraught relationship, words like “ripped” in the first stanza and “although everything has happened / nothing has happened” in the second.
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