Anne Sexton was an influential American poet who was known for her highly personal and confessional poetry, dealing primarily with her long battle with depression, suicidal tendencies and various intimate details of her private life. One of her best works was ‘Live or Die’, published in 1966, which was a collection of poems mostly in free-verse and rhythm. This book won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1967. It is interesting to note that her writing began only as a therapy, as her therapist encouraged her to write about her thoughts and feelings. It was her poems about her psychiatric struggles which led to her writing and publishing books. The victim of a troubled childhood, she suffered from psychological issues throughout her life. A difficult marriage and the birth of her children only worsened her mental health. Despite living a life of materialistic comfort, she had never experienced true happiness. A series of volatile sexual affairs further complicated her life which ended tragically at the age of 45.