As one of the key figures of Confessional poetry, Sexton engaged in writing poetry that is widely understood to be personal, biographical, and intimate, and the relationship between Sexton’s life and her work remains close. Sexton began writing after her marriage and the birth of both of her daughters, and she drew on her personal experiences, including her extramarital affairs. She is well-known for writing about other previously taboo topics, like abortion, menstruation, and masturbation.

“The Expatriates” never clearly defines the nature of the relationship between the lovers, taking their inability to be together as simple fact. The taboo of extramarital love was both familiar to Sexton and thematically characteristic of her work. It is interesting to note that the poem’s “moment” (Line 1) of romance is chaste, as it describes a moment in which the speaker holds the “sweet hands” (Line 25) of their lover. The poem focuses on the emotional ties and heartbreak associated with forbidden love, bringing the intimate and personal to the forefront in typical Sexton fashion.