Adrienne Rich

Angelica Davila
Mrs. Bosch
English Honors 10
17 April 2007

Rich Poetry

When one thinks of poems, rhyming usually comes in mind. For many poets,
poetry is their gift of ways to express their own feelings or thoughts in words, in which
they can make sense of it all. An early 1900’s poet who has gone beyond anyone’s
expectations is Adrienne Rich. Born into a family of two very successful, peaceful
parents, this talented girl was sure to shine. Every one of her goals, every worldly topic
of hers only brought her into newer aspects of herself. Adrienne let life and all its paths
shape her into a well spoken out role model. Writing of every major form in her life gave
her the advantage of receiving worldly attention to her magnificent (talent for) poetry.
Throughout her life she has written of her; youth, goals, conflicts, sexuality, hurts,
governmental wrong doings, and many more. Making her voice heard loud and clear by
the exquisite use of her words. Adrienne Rich is one of many literature artists who have
come a long way for the better of themselves and others, giving way to many silenced,
unheard voices.
Adrienne Rich was born in May 16, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was
daughter of middle-class parents. Her father Arnold Rich, a professor of medicine, and
Helen Rich, a trained composer and pianist, both had a bright future planned for their
daughter. Adrienne and her sister were home schooled until the fourth grade, where her
love for poetry began to truly unfold. She describes her upbringing as “white and middle class…full of books,”(Encyclopedia of World Biography on Adrienne Rich), which her
father encouraged her to read authors such as Rosetti, Swinburne, Keats, and Blake. All
this before entering her first years of grade school. Just as Adrienne graduated from High
School, she was already writing compact and carefully constructed poetry. Turning
twenty-two, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Radcliffe College. That year her book,
A Change of World, was selected for the Yale Series of Younger Poets by W. H. Auden.
She was now known as a fine poet and as a humble young woman. As her next book,
The Diamond Cutters and Other Poems (1955) was honored, she merited her reputation
as an elegant, controlled stylist. Making her one very known, acknowledged, and
powerful woman who’s poetry demanded importance.
As the 1960’s came, Rich started a serious transformation away from her earlier
mode as she began political and feminist statements. Shown in works such as, Snapshots
of a Daughter-in-Law (1963), Leaflets (1969), and many more of her books. She
continued to seek a form of how to deal with the adventures and hopes of a woman from
her own feminine point of view. Along with many of her liberal writings, she also
published many essays of poetry, feminism, motherhood and even lesbianism. That’s
how comfortable and true she was about writing that she felt no need to hide herself from
her loved readers. Just as she describes in one of her poems, “My Mouth Hovers Across
Your Breasts (1968),” here only half of Adrienne Rich’s poem is shown, but it still has
the ability to express herself, just as well as if she would have done writing an entire page
of herself:
…Around each other our daytime candle burns
With its peculiar light and if the snow
Beings to fall outside filling the branches
And if the night falls without announcement
There are the pleasures of wint er
Sudden, wild and delicate your fingers…(lines 6-11)

In this poem she describes major points in her now changing life, noticeable even when
shown only a bit of the poem itself. It speaks of a moment in her life when she felt more
than content with expressing her new sexuality. Some readers looked up to her for her
courage and free feelings, but some in the other hand, found it totally unnecessary for
such sexual content to be shown. Especially by such an award winning poet like
Adrienne Rich. As a poet, Adrienne surely knows that when there is good feedback, there
will always be bad controversies that await. Not many poets are brave enough to express
themselves in ways Adrienne Rich has. Giving her a unique identity that only attributes
towards herself, highlight her talented writing abilities she has constructed for herself.
Throughout the 1970’s Rich’s work still reflects her awareness and commitment
to the women’s equal rights, nature, and to social involvement. In 1986 she won the first
Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a twenty-five thousand dollar prize. In 1994 she was named a
McArthur Fellow (Encyclopedia of World Biography on Adrienne Rich). These awards
being only a few of her great winnings. In 1997, she brought much attention when to
herself when she refused to accept a National Medal for the Arts. Her love for poetry let
her defend its meaning for what it stood for, not just for its ‘nice’ words. On July 15,
1997, Adrienne said that, “when there are growing numbers of people being
impoverished, scapegoat, and beleaguered, she didn’t feel she could accept an award from
the government pursing these policies”(The News Journal [Wilmington, DE]).
“Prospective Immigrants Please Note” (1966) , by Adrienne Rich is one of her most
controversial topics she has written because of the government:

Either you will
Go through this door
Or you will not go through,
If you go through
There is always a risk
Of remembering your name.

Things look at your doubly
And you must look back
And let them happen.

If you do not go through
It is possible
To live worthily
To maintain your attitudes
To hold your position
To die bravely

But much will blind you,
Much will evade you,
At what cost who knows?
The door itself
Makes no promises.
It is only a door.

The poem is written with such clarity as if she was advising the many immigrants who
chose to take risks to move on, while showing much respect towards them. They who do
not have a chance of living life to the fullest, with the love of their own country. Her
ability to feel such moving ideas, apprehending such experiences of those of who know
them best, is quite impressing. Her experiences as a woman also give shape to the
language of originality that have made her into the popular and compelling poet she was
born to be. Rich’s poems voice the conflicts, confusion, anger, and desire for the sense of
wholeness craved by millions of American women (and/or even some men). Today her
roles as a wife, teacher, poet, feminist, lesbian, political activist, and essayist have only
made her evolvement as a woman and an artist have greater meaning in her values and
experiences today. Today Adrienne Rich lives her days in northern California. Hopefully
her drive for poetry will remain in full throttle, for the world to continue reading. For she
is one of many who continue to be role models for the future generations of this country.
For those who are beginning to see the world for what it truly is. Reminding them to be
as free and liberal as one wishes to be without the fear of anyone and anything.
Through the years, there have been many poets of many cultures and ages. Sure
they have all impacted at least one person’s life, even if it were their own. One way that
all poets are known to be different is by their way of writing. For each poet has gone
through difficult, or happy experiences at many times in their lives. One poet that is
surely known for her unique writing techniques is Adrienne Rich. From the first years
her parents Arnold and Helen received her in their lives, there was no other path for
Adrienne to take than to write. Growing up she knew writing was something that was
going to be apart of her. Surely, it did. Adrienne has received numerous awards for her
skills in literature and passion for writing. As this life of literature unfolded, she also saw
it as a window to express her deepest, most truthful emotions, what ever they may be.
Throughout all of her writings, either it be her essays or her poems, she has traced every
word to the meaning of her life. Making Adrienne Rich, one of the many well known
poets of the 1900’s. Her words, emotions, thoughts, and passion will surely be engraved
into the generations to come. Future generations which will soon enough look back to a
well admired Adrienne Rich, and all of her contributions she has made in her attempt to
enrich the minds of the world.








Work Cited

Susan Butterworth. "Adrienne Rich." Magill’s Choice: American Ethnic Writers. Salem
Press, 2000. eNotes.com. 2006. 12 Apr. 2007
<http://lit.enotes.com/salem-lit/adrienne-rich-0170000203>
“Adrienne Rich." Poem Hunters. 10 Apr. 2007
.
"Adrienne Rich Biography." Book Rags. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 15 Apr. 2007
.