‘Adrienne Rich explores the twin themes of power and powerlessness in a variety of interesting ways.’
Write a response to the poetry of Adrienne Rich in the light of this statement, supporting your points with suitable reference to the poems on your course. (2010)
Paragraph Poem 1
‘Aunt
Jennifer’s Tigers’
2 ‘Storm Warnings’ Power
„„Uncle seems to hold all the power in the relationship
„„Art as power - The defiant screen
„„Nature is all-powerful - we are totally dependent upon nature and are powerless to control it
Powerlessness
„„Aunt Jennifer - terrified, unhappy in her marriage, yet she does not have the power to leave it
„„Speaker is powerless in the face of strong emotions
„„There are things we are powerless against - falling in and out of love, depression, addiction, etc.
3
‘Trying to Talk with a Man’
4
‘From a Survivor’
„„The power of bombs
„„You cannot control another person in a relationship
„„Speaker is powerless - she cannot save this relationship
„„The power of surviving, one step at a time
„„The power of the human spirit to survive even unthinkable loss
5 ‘Power’ „„The powerful elements
„„The powerlessness of the situation - Rich could not control her husband or his decision to end his life
„„Powerlessness against the elements of radium and polonium
„„Powerless against the radiation that ravaged her body
