Adrienne Rich's Poetry and Prose

By Adrienne Rich

Book Overview

In both poetry and prose, the editors have chosen selections intended to give readers a clear sense of Rich's evolution and accomplishment. Many of the poems in this expanded collection are from Rich's five recent volumes--The Dream of a Common Language (1978), A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far (1981), Your Native Land, Your Life (1986), Time's Power: Poems 1985-1988 (1989), and An Atlas of the Difficult World (1991). Prose selections include "When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision," Rich's canonical statement on feminism; "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence," on being a lesbian in a heterosexual world; Rich's interview for American Poetry Review, which presents a full and frank discussion of her work; and her previously unpublished commentary on the genesis of the poem "Yom Kippur 1984."

The editors have also taken into account the many essays on Rich and reviews of her work that have been published since 1975. Some earlier biographical selections have been replaced with works that focus on the quality of Rich's writing and her place in twentieth-century American literature--not just as a poet, but as a woman, a lesbian, and a mother. Criticism includes thirteen reviews and interpretations of Rich's work by W. H. Auden, John Ashbery, Margaret Atwood, Helen Vendler, Judith McDaniel, Adrian Oktenberg, Charles Altieri, and Joanna Feit Diehl, among others. A second recent study by Albert Gelpi traces the events in Rich's life from which her work evolves. An updated Chronology and Selected Bibliography, as well as an expanded Index, are included.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393961478
• ISBN13: 9780393961478
• Release Date: May 1993
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.4"
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Praise for Adrienne Rich

I'm currently teaching a six week course in Adrienne Rich's poetry and this book is excellent. It provides a good selection of her poems, plus significant prose pieces. If students choose to do so, they can read the reviews of her books, some critical essays and an interview. It's limited only in that it doesn't cover her more recent publications.

recognized by some be in top 100--(US) poets

Oct. 5: She is presented with prestigious Lannan Literary Award..for $100,000 for a job in writing,well.

Thank You Thank You Adrienne!!!

Not merely a wonderful and incredibly courageous poet; oh, no. She is also a brilliant and challenging essayist. Most famous for "The Hermit's Scream", her other prose is absolutely startling in its originality and courage. This book is a threat to white males everywhere. I cannot recommend it highly enough.