Adrienne Rich Essays (Examples)

However, Rich does not title the poem "Aunt Jennifer's Ring." Rather, Rich uses the title "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" to offer a sense of hope, transformation, and overcoming. Patriarchy can be overcome with self-awareness. Aunt Jennifer is creating embroidery or other weaving technique, which is representative of traditional women's work. The image on Aunt Jennifer's wool is that of tigers who "prance" and "do not fear the men beneath the tree." The tigers are "proud and unafraid." Aunt Jennifer projects her ideal self onto her embroidery, whereas her real self is burdened by the "massive weight of Uncle's wedding band" that weighs her hand down as she sews. In "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," Rich creates a poem that is paradoxically filled with sorrow and human suffering as well as hope and transformation.

In "From an Atlas of the Difficult orld," Adrienne Rich presents an image of universal suffering that shows that feminism…

This imagery -- both of a ship and of insecurity and simple "wrongness" -- continues when the speaker says in a direct metaphor that "The sky / is a torn sail" (9-10). On a practical level, this is an image of further uselessness and insecurity aboard the "ship" that is this house.

A torn sail cannot provide any guidance or momentum; in essence, the ship that belongs to a torn sail is a dead one. As the houses have already been compared to ships, the "torn sail" of the sky is automatically -- and no doubt intentionally -- associated with the houses that have heretofore been the main subject of the poem. Thus, the night sky fails to provide any further assurance of security or comfort to the dead ships that are the houses.

Furthermore, the image of a ship with a torn sail is simply spooky -- it reminds…

Rich describes her envy of a barren woman. A barren woman can be a woman who can't have children or a woman who simply does not have children. It can mean that the woman has chosen not the have children. If the barren woman is someone who has chosen not to have children, Rich contends that she may regret not have children and such a regret is a luxurious one to have. Again Rich is reiterating the idea that motherhood is not necessarily the ideal situation for all women and that some women even regret choosing motherhood.

This regret is present because motherhood robs the woman of self. Although a woman with no children has regrets about her actions she still has her privacy and freedom. Rich seems to place privacy and freedom strictly in the domain of women who are not mothers. Motherhood is therefore viewed as a weight…

drienne Rich - What Does a Woman Need to Know

drienne Rich associates power with a lot of different things in her essay. She associates it with "exploiting the powerless -- including women and children." Power according to her means exhibiting force mainly against the women. Moreover she stresses that power has been historically linked to the "use of force, rape, with stockpiling of weapons," and the accumulation of wealth. I agree with drienne that power is associated with accumulation of wealth and weapons. Today or in the yesteryears it has always been seen that the people in society or nations globally, who have wealth and military strength are always more powerful and they exhibit an oppressing force towards the others. However power is not used or defined as exhibiting force against the women. I would more agree that power has been associated with the use of force against the…

Compulsory Heterosexuality & Lesbian Existence; estricted Sexuality & Female esistance

Women's Issues -- Compulsory Heterosexuality

Compulsory Heterosexuality & Lesbian Existence; estricted Sexuality & Female esistance

Author's note with contact information and more details on collegiate affiliation, etc.

Adrienne ich is a feminist theorist with clearly defined ideas that are communicated with sharp, yet graceful articulation. Her essay, "Compulsory Heterosexuality" gave her well deserved and earned respect from the community of her peers. The essay additionally challenged women, theorists, philosophers, and producers of media and culture to a great task. Her perspective, one that exists outside and arguably, independent of Western patriarchal male ideology, is valuable. Perspectives outside of the mainstream are valuable. They exist. The declaration and acknowledgement of existence is a crucial theme of "Compulsory Heterosexuality." Her piece is about the lesbian experience, but really her piece is about the experience of women within a society where men have…

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" & "Marriage"

The two poems Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne ich and Marriage by Gregory Corso are both focused on the social happenings that are experienced in our daily lives. The subject matter of both poems is grounded on marriage as an institution and the societal view of marriage and the view of the people who are involved or supposed to be involved in the marriage. Both poems talk about the vast challenges that are experienced in marriage and the society at large.

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers has a persona who describes the activities of the aunt. The speaker describes the knitting action of the aunt who is making a decorative screen that is adorned by the image of tigers who are moving through a jungle. These tigers are depicted as energetic and very agile then the next stanza depicts Aunt Jennifer who is feeble and struggles even…

AUDRE: I still say I'm the only one who even comes close to understanding the struggle Obama has gone through, even though he is a man

ALLEN: And heterosexual

ADRIENNE: And alive

WILLIAM: Let's just take a step back and look at this objectively. Scientifically. Medically.

AUDRE: I think you've got the wrong hat on, doc. Figuratively speaking.

ALLEN: No, no, this could help. William, you want to right it because your sense of rhythm is uniquely American, right?

WILLIAM: Well, more or less -- m rhythm is the unique American rhythm, I would say

ALLEN: OK, buut close enough. And Adrienne, you think that because you're alive

ADRIENNE: And for other reasons, like, uhh...subjectivity, and er

ALLEN: Right. And Audre

AUDRE: The subjugation of this society which has made me an outcast in every

ALLEN: Yeah, yeah we know. Those are all some pretty valid reasons. As for me,…

Gender in Fowles and McEwan

[oman] is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her; she is the incidental, the inessential. He is the Subject, he is the Absolute -- she is the Other. -- Simone de Beauvoir.

Simone de Beauvoir's influential analysis of gender difference as somehow implying gender deference -- that the mere fact of defining male in opposition to female somehow implies placing one in an inferior or subaltern position -- becomes especially interesting when examining how fiction by male authors approaches questions of gender. I propose to examine in detail two British novels of the post-war period -- The Collector by John Fowles, published in 1963, and The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan, published in 1981 -- and hope to demonstrate that, in point of fact, the existence of the feminist movement has managed to shift the portrayal of…

Jordan has not been honored by naming any street or postal holidays. She was respected and recognized by her own milestones; as she designed modern Harlem with . Buckminster Fuller, had coffee with Malcolm X, received suggestive teachings from Toni Cade Bambara, acted with Angela Davis in a film, and authored an opera with John Adams and Peter Sellars. Irrespective of so much achievements there was no 'Day' named after June Jordan. She was the awarded author of about two dozen books, a great American poet known both for creativity and collections and was one of most critical activists and teachers who have not yet been recognized. This paper is a good testimony to know her better. (June Jordan- www.randomhouse.com)

Jordan is all-inclusive as a poet, essayist, reporter, dramatist, academician, cultural and political activist, however above all she is an inspirational teacher both in words and actions and is considered…

Preserving Family Traditions and Cultural Legacies:
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Individual Identity
In Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use,” the conflict between a desire for personal fulfillment and the need to honor one’s tradition is dramatized in the conflict shown between two daughters, Maggie and Dee. Maggie has never had a desire to leave home and seems content to live with her mother. Mama is a woman who has grown up poor, tough, but also very deferential to white people, because of the profound societal injustices she has endured. “Who can even imagine me looking a strange white man in the eye? It seems to me I have talked to them always with one foot raised in flight, with my head fumed in whichever way is farthest from them” (Walker 1). In contrast, her other daughter Dee is brave, goes away to college, and seems to have a confidence…

omen struggles in EL

The rights of women in society have always been a topic shrouded in a great deal of discussion. In many ways women are still struggling for equality within society and will likely continue to struggle for some years to come. The purpose of this discussion is to focus on how this theme of women's rights has informed English Literature and the manner in which it has been expressed including those thing that have changed and those things that have remained constant. More specifically the research will focus on women's rights in English literature from the Romantic Age until the 21st century.

The Romantic Age

In the real of English literature the Romantic age (1789-1830) was an extremely important time because it marked a new birth in the type literature that was written and the manner in which readers were exposed to the literature. As it pertains…

Despite this hardship she still managed to publish the first volume of poetry written by a woman in the New orld. This volume of poetry marked a milestone and reflected her faith, as did her other works, in the goals of her Puritan faith, and are not without skepticism.

Martin 4)

God doth not afflict willingly, nor take delight in grieving the children of men: he hath no benefitt by my adversity, nor is he the better for my prosperity; but he doth it for my Advantage, and that I may bee a Gainer by it. And if he knowes that weaknes and a frail body is the best to make me a vessell fitt for his use, why should I not bare it, not only willingly but joyfully? (orks, 20)

Bradstreet's faith was essential to existence in her society and this struggle is the core of her works.

Martin…

W. Connell. By integrating all these disparate elements, Messner effectively establishes that the homophobic world of masculine sports leads to the suppression of homoerotic desire in order to engage in hegemonic masculinity.

Messner's article serves as an eye-opener on how masculinized institutions play a role in perpetuating social values and sexual conventions. Indeed, it appears that Messner has a very valid point in calling for systematic studies on the social construction of heterosexuality. In fact, it can be argued that sports is only one such social context and that Messner's hypothesis probably holds true for other masculine social contexts as well. Thus, if a healthy sexual identity is key to the development of psychological well-being, it appears that sociology may well be able to provide some valuable insights on how conflicts caused by social processes can be resolved.

eferences

Messner, M.A.…

omen ith Authority in a Patriarchal orld

In the contemporary world, the cultural and literary spheres acknowledge female interests and activities. Females have overtly exerted their rights by demanding their due status in society, thereby being accepted as important societal members. But the scenario was vastly different about a hundred years ago. Females belonged at home, with the general society believing that raising children and taking care of domestic affairs sufficed as their emotional fulfillment. Between 1850 and 1900, societies were chiefly patriarchal and dependent women had to fight to enjoy equal social status. They were governed completely by a male-fashioned society, and had to be the image of the era's feminine ideal.[footnoteRef:1] In this paper, female authority within patriarchal societies will be addressed, with particular emphasis on the many restrictions when it came to them exerting power and what effective strategies they applied. [1: Pamela, Balanza. "The Role of…

Humanities

Importance of the humanities in the professions:

A comparison of "Paul's Case," Muriel's Wedding and Andy Warhol's rendition of Marilyn Monroe

The modern concept of 'celebrity' is that anyone can be famous, provided that he or she embodies an ideal of glamour, using material trappings like clothing and possessions to show his or her 'specialness.' This is a common method of 'selling' a particular product in business.

The idea is paradoxical -- on one hand, celebrities are special, on the other hand the media suggests everyone can be a celebrity and 'famous for 15 minutes' if they buy the right item.

This can be seen in "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, about a boy who feels as if he is above his classmates.

Paul desires to have a celebrity-like status, based upon his perceptions of himself as having innately refined tastes.

But this costs money, and Paul is unwilling…

Honore De alzac's Views On Family

Honore de alzac had a talent for exposing French social life, particularly in relation to families. Through Cousin ette, Father Goriat and Lost Illusions, alzac expressed his belief that modern society, with greed, corruption and temptation, threatened the basic family structure, making families into monetary units of far less importance than they had been in previous days.

In Cousin ette (alzac, 1991), the main character, Lisbeth "ette" Fischer, is a homely, middle-aged spinster who has lived her whole life in envy of her pretty cousin Adeline, who is married to aron Hector Hulot DErvy, a prestigious military and government official who does not make a lot of money and is a complete womanizer. Hector has a slew of mistresses, despite his wife's loyalty and devotion to him. Their daughter, Hortense, develops a crush on ette's "boyfriend," Wenceslas Steinbock, a young Polish sculptor, and marries…

While I do not believe that Narnia exists, I do believe it exists and can be reached through a wardrobe while reading that book. In contrast, while most modern romance novels are set in modern-day, realistic settings, the events within them are so obviously contrived that it detracts from, rather than enhances, the storyline. Therefore, I think that fiction writing teachers need to concentrate on teaching students how to write about the fantastic in a plausible manner.

Examining my own conclusions about the tradition of writing, I have come to the conclusion that the separation of genres hinders good writing. Whatever the genre, my favorite writing tends to feature conversational and engaging writing. The plot scenarios, even when wildly fantastic, are presented in a believable manner. Furthermore, the author uses elements of writing that make the reader feel as if they are a part of the story being told. While…

Finally, the sestet ends with a question about whether any moral lessons can be learned from this little scene in nature: "[w]hat but design of darkness to appall/if design govern in a thing so small." In other words, the speaker is asking whether he should even try to draw any conclusions from the spider's destruction of the beautiful moth.

The final lines of the poem not only call into question the beneficence of nature; they also call into question the ability of human beings to draw lessons from nature. (Bagby, pp. 73-74). Ultimately, the poem raises questions about the Darwinian metaphor more than it does about the Darwinian theory. (Hass, p. 62). Frost is trying to suggest that there is a limit to what human beings can learn from nature and to their ability to draw their own moral lessons from it.

In the final analysis, "Design" is a poem…

Vintage Book Contemporary American Poetry. Those: - Mark Strand's "The Story Our Lives" - Robert Pinsky's "The Hearts," - Frank O'Hara's "Having a Coke ith You," - Galway Kinnel's "After Making Love e Hear Footsteps," - J.

"Having a Coke ith You"

Frank O'Hara's poem "Having a Coke ith You" presents audiences with an intriguing look into the poet's world as he focuses on discussing a topic that appears to be related to love, but that is actually more confusing that one might be inclined to believe. It seems that the poet is partly joking and partly passionate about the topic of love, considering that even though he compares his lover to some of the world's most beautiful concepts, he does not hesitate to introduce humorous lines as being related to the subject that he is discussing.

O'Hara cleverly addresses ideas such as art and life with the purpose of…

Sympathy," "Digging," "For A Lady I Know," and "Metaphors" are examples of poems that exemplify and uses poetic elements in order to capture the message the poet wants the reader of the poem to achieve. In essence, this paper will talk about the poetic elements and use of persona, speaker, and voice to interpret and understand the message of the poems that have been mentioned. "Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar is an example of a poem that uses the power of dual persona in order for the poet to express his feelings. "Sympathy" also illustrates the poet's strong feelings about freedom through the tone of his voice in every line delivered in the poem. Dunbar makes use of dual persona effectively when he assumes the role of both the poet (the speaker) and the role of an individual similar to the plight and feelings of "a caged bird." Dunbar through…