Objective: A brief biographical review of the poet Francis Webb was carried out, with reference to his mental illness and recurring themes in his poetry.
Method: Material is drawn from a recent biography and the author's personal encounters with the poet. Reference is also made to Lacan's theory of psychosis and Winnicott's construct of the “transitional object”.
Results: The poetry may be seen in part as a transitional object whereby the poet sought to repair deficits in the structure of the self and contain psychotic chaos.
Conclusions: The poems have a beauty and power beyond any psychoanalytic theorising, but may also be read as a vital striving toward self-healing on the part of the poet.
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