Power - A poem by Adrienne Rich

Adrienne Rich - Power

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
for living on this earth in the winters of this climate.

Today I was reading about Marie Curie:
she must have known she suffered from radiation sickness
her body bombarded for years by the element
she had purified
It seems she denied to the end
the source of the cataracts on her eyes
the cracked and suppurating skin of her finger-ends
till she could no longer hold a test-tube or a pencil

She died a famous woman denying
her wounds
denying
her wounds came from the same source as her power.

Added: on August 24th, 2004 at 12:54 AM | Viewed: 13050 times | Comments and analysis of Power by Adrienne Rich Comments (3)

Power - Comments and Information
Poet: Adrienne Rich Poem: Power Year: Published/Written in 1974 Comment 3 of 3, added on November 15th, 2007 at 3:57 PM. Ok sorry but your both wrong! This a a potical poem that deals with a woman haveing to prove herself in a male dominated sociaty. Rich feels empathy for Marie because she to had to deal with hard times ("Winters of this climate") As she to knows what it feels like being a female poet when it was dominated by man (See "The Roofwalker"). Marie Over exposes herself to the radiation to prove herself to men. Rich end this poem in a pesstimistic tone. She is dissapointed that Marie had to die to prove herself laura from Ireland Comment 2 of 3, added on March 21st, 2006 at 2:43 AM. No, no, no. This is all about the feminist paradox. Rich was someone who was very aware of two separate roles of a feminist; protecting the "sacred gift" of creation, and fighting opression. In order for Rich to feel that she was truly a woman, she needed to have children. But this meant that, in the 60's at least, she would have to become domesticated. She considered this a fate worse than death, because she could not use her brilliant mind. Marie Curie's cause of death ironically came from the same source as her power...purification of radiation. Rich is using this as a complex metaphor, saying that all women "die" from the source or their power; motherhood. Mille Comment 1 of 3, added on August 24th, 2004 at 12:54 AM. I think this is a wonderful poem. I think it shows that no matter what your physical conditon your mind has the power to tell you other wise. This may be a bad thing or a good thing. Wilder More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Power, has received 3 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Adrienne Rich with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Adrienne Rich Poem: Power Year: Published/Written in 1974 Last read: May 15 2008, 1:04AM Viewed 13050 times. Added on August 24th, 2004 at 12:54 AM.

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