Confessional versus Lyrical Poetry

Confessional poetry deals with the poet's apperception

or the assimilation of her life-experience whereas lyrical

poetry concentrates on her immediate feelings and

sensations. The former allows the poet self-reflexivity

which can also be termed self-consciousness. This quality

opens up a meta-dimension in the poems which can lead

to the discovery of new words and new forms of poetry.

Perhaps confessional poetry can be considered to be

deeper whereas lyrical poetry can just scan the surface

of the poet's inner life. Perhaps the lyrical self is closer

to Nature which it celebrates whereas the former

analyses the inner workings of the mind.