8/2/2019 Adrieen Rich

1/2

As said, the variance of register present makes the poetry of Adrienne Rich unique and hence cannot

but be appreciated (as said links this paragraph to the introduction; appreciated answers qs).

Many poets stick with the use of I throughout their poetry or refrain from using it all. Adrienne

Rich switches from focusing poems on herself to others and then including herself with others.

I believe doing this gives her poetry as a whole a universal feel, being of worth not just for her but

many others besides, and hence holds resonance for all; this must be appreciated (Elaboration).

We see this beginning in STORM WARNINGS. Rich places herself at the centre of the poem and

declares that I leave the book upon a pillowed chair. It is she who responds to the mastery of

elements as she declares that I draw the curtains as the sky goes black. We see the variance of

register beginning to present itself in another poem, AUNT JENNIFERS TIGERS (another

cohesion). Here Rich leaves herself out of the poem and allows the poem to focus on Aunt Jennifer,

the Uncle and her tigers, who go on prancing, proud and unafraid even after the death of Aunt

Jennifer.

Again Rich varies her register in another poem, OUR WHOLE LIFE (Again cohesion). She here

chooses not to focus on solely herself or on another but includes both as she declares Our whole

life a translation. Throughout her poetry Rich grants poems to others, to herself and to others

they are for all, each in an original way through her varying of register. Producing her poetry in this

manner to suit all cannot but be appreciated.

OUR WHOLE LIFE contains another feature of Richs poetry which equally makes it impossible not to

appreciate, her variance of themes (use of poem + another are suitable cohesive links;

appreciate answers qs). I think that like variance of register, through covering many different

themes in different poems Rich allows her poetry to appeal to many and thus makes her poetry

unique.

Again, this universal quality of her poetry cannot but be appreciated (appreciated qs answered;

Elaboration). Here she covers the theme of relationships. The relationship here is strained and such

is the state that Rich compares it to a knot lies/ eating at itself to get undone. She compares the

irreparable state of this relationship to Trying to tell the doctor where it hurts. Elsewhere, Rich

covers another theme for another audience, in LIVING IN SIN (Elsewhere cohesion). Here she

speaks of the need for battle against male power. The woman in the poem is jeered by the minor

demons. She often wakes to feel the daylight coming/ like a relentless milkman up the stairs.

Yet again Rich talks to another group, her fellow artists and poets and budding artists, in THEROOFWALKER (Yet again cohesion). Here she speaks to them with the covering of the theme of

art as she looks upon her career as a poet. She speaks of how A life I didnt choose chose me. Later

she laments that even/ my tools are the wrong ones/ for what I have to do.

The tools Rich speaks of are inspired by the tools of the roofwalker (use of quote, tools to link

this paragraph to the last). The image of the roofwalker is another quality of Richs poetry which I

think allows it to be easy to appreciate; her descriptive power (appreciate answer).

Each Rich poem is unique; it is described in depth, with no detail excluded. It is easy to appreciate

each poem that is detailed to the extent that it is in a world of its own (Elaboration). Here the

roofwalker is surrounded by hammers. He is standing at a time when the pulleys hang slack and

8/2/2019 Adrieen Rich

2/2

The sky/ is a torn sail where figures/ pass magnified, shadows/ on a burning deck. More of the

same is seen in LIVING IN SIN (More of the same cohesion). Rich does not forget to mention the

panes relived of grime or last nights cheese and three sepulchral bottles.

The trend is continued in DIVING INTO THE WRECK (continued cohesion). Rich compares

travelling back through time to the past to journeying into the ocean with the blue light while the

oxygen immerses me. Rich tells the reader that First the air is blue and then/ it is bluer and then

green and then/ black.

A final quality which I feel makes Richs poetry easy to appreciate is the seriousness of her poems

(final links this paragraph to rest of answer/ other paragraphs; appreciate is answering of

question again). Her poems are serious and focused. They cover many themes which hold resonance

for many people and Rich, uniquely, realizes her task. Thus she keeps her poetry serious,

representing her strong focus on the task at hand (Elaboration).

In STORM WARNINGS Rich speaks of attempting to break away from the past. Such a complex and,for many, an important theme such as for when dealing with the death of a loved one or a traumatic

incident, is not to be treated laxly. Rich is serious as she compares this breaking free to sheltering

herself from the storm Which clocks and weatherglasses cannot alter. She confirms These are the

things that we have learned to do/ Who live in troubled regions. This seriousness progresses into

AUNT JENNIFERS TIGERS (progresses cohesion). Here Rich again deals with another theme of

relevance to many, the refusal of life to stop for anyone. Rich may talk of tigers which prance in a

world of green but she does not forget that even in a world of green there is still death present

and life stopping for no one. The tigers prance for the entirety of the poem, but the extent to

which they do so is seen with their prancing When Aunt is dead. Life stops for no one; the tigers

that she made do not even stop for Aunt Jennifer.

It is impossible not to appreciate the poetry of Adrienne Rich (first line repeated gives answer full

circle quality and feeling of completion as well as answering qs again). Her poetry is unique, with its

variance of register and theme fused with a seriousness and descriptive power which inhabits her

poetry. All these qualities combine to make each poem, and her poetry unique for every reader. This

quality makes it impossible not to appreciate the poetry of Adrienne Rich (answering the question

again).