Adrienne Rich was one of the most influential feminist writers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, born in May of 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland. A leading voice in the second-wave feminist movement, her collections of poems and essays won numerous awards, including the National Book Award in 1974.
She declined the National Medal of Arts in 1997 in protest of the end of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Her first collection, published in 1951, was titled “A Change of World.” Rich passed away in 2012.
‘Tonight No Poetry Will Serve’ by Adrienne Rich is a multilayered poem. The poet imbued it with many complex sexual and political innuendoes about power.
Saw you walking barefoot
taking a long look
at the new moon's eyelid
‘Living in Sin’ by Adrienne Rich is a deeply evocative poem. In it, the poet depicts a woman’s exceptions and contrasts them with reality.
She had thought the studio would keep itself;
no dust upon the furniture of love.
Half heresy, to wish the taps less vocal,
the panes relieved of grime. A plate of pears,
‘Planetarium’ by Adrienne Rich is a free verse poem elaborating on the triumphs and troubles of female scientists using astronomy-related metaphors. The poem also describes the wonders of the universe from the female astronomer’s perspective, thereby portraying their passion for the universe.
I am an instrument in the shape
of a woman trying to translate pulsations
into images for the relief of the body
and the reconstruction of the mind.
‘Dreamwood’ by Adrienne Rich jumps between the incredible imagination of a child to the wiser outlook of an older woman.
In the old, scratched, cheap wood of the typing stand
there is a landscape, veined, which only a child can see
or the child’s older self, a poet,
a woman dreaming when she should be typing
Adrienne Rich’s ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ critiques the oppression of women in marriages using images of sewn tigers.
Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
‘Amends’ by Adrienne Rich is a beautiful poem in which the poet depicts the moon. She describes its presence in the sky and the peace it brings to humanity.
Nights like this: on the cold apple-bough
a white star, then another
exlploading out of the bark:
on the ground, moonlight picking at small stones
‘Diving into the Wreck’ by Adrienne Rich is an unforgettable poem. It uses diving as a metaphor to describe the fight for equal rights.
First having read the book of myths,
and loaded the camera,
and checked the edge of the knife-blade,
‘Power’ by Adrienne Rich is a memorable poem that focuses on the power of Marie Curie and the impact she made on her field.
Living in the earth-deposits of our history
Today a backhoe divulged out of a crumbling flank of earth
one bottle amber perfect a hundred-year-old
cure for fever or melancholy a tonic
‘Peeling Onions’ by Adrienne Rich is an introspective poem. In it, the poet uses the metaphor of peeling onions to define her complex thoughts.
Only to have a grief
equal to all these tears!
‘A Mark of Resistance’ by Adrienne Rich is a poem about individual resistance. The poet voices her solidarity with those who face discrimination from society.
Stone by stone I pile
this cairn of my intention
with the noon's weight on my back,
exposed and vulnerable
‘Snapshots of a Daughter-In-Law’ is a feminist poem of defiance and activism against the misogynistic constraints of patriarchal society. It is a beautiful, and often satirical, poetic exploration of the position women occupy within a male-dominated world.
Your mind now, moldering like wedding-cake,
heavy with useless experience, rich
with suspicion, rumor, fantasy,
crumbling to pieces under the knife-edge
‘Storm Warnings’ by Adrienne Rich draws attention to the turbulence brewing, from the perspective of a worried resident.
This is our sole defense against the season;
These are the things we have learned to do
Who live in troubled regions.
‘Twenty-One Love Poems XIII’ by Adrienne Rich is a poem about same-sex relationships and how couples experience a new, uncharted love.
The rules break like a thermometer,
quicksilver spills across the charted systems,
we’re out in a country that has no language
no laws, we’re chasing the raven and the wren
In ‘Mother-in-law,’ Rich’s verses echo with unspoken truths, illuminating the complexities of familial bonds and the longing for genuine understanding.
Tell me something
you say
Not: What are you working on now, is there anyone special,
how is the job
Adrienne Rich’s ‘Orion’ explores the emotional depths of relationships and the search for self-identity amidst societal pressures.
Far back when I went zig-zagging
through tamarack pastures
you were my genius, you
my cast-iron Viking, my helmed
FAQs about Adrienne RichAdrienne Rich was an American poet, essayist, and feminist. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1929, and she passed away in 2012. Adrienne Rich was a highly influential feminist writer of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Adrienne Rich's poetry often explores themes of feminism, social justice, and identity. Her work also frequently addresses the experiences of women and marginalized groups.
Adrienne Rich uses language and imagery to convey her ideas and emotions in a powerful and evocative way. She often employs metaphors and symbols to create a deeper meaning in her poetry.
Adrienne Rich's poetry is significant in the literary world because of its political and social commentary, as well as its feminist perspective. Her work has been influential in shaping the discourse on gender and sexuality.
Adrienne Rich played a significant role in advancing the feminist movement through her writings. Her poetry challenged traditional gender roles and emphasized the importance of women's voices and experiences. By addressing issues such as reproductive rights, domesticity, and the objectification of women, Rich sparked conversations and encouraged critical thinking about gender equality.
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