Beginning in the late 1950's Confessional Poetry is all about wearing your heart on your sleeve. Confessional poetry is defined as the poetry of the personal. It covers topics that had never been openly discussed in American poetry. These topics include things such as death, mental illness, and depression. Some major poets of this movement include Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and Robert Lowell. This movement opened up doorways for people to express themselves.