Adrienne Rich
“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.”
“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.”
Figure One
The poet and author Adrienne Rich, early twenties. Photograph: © Bettmann/CORBIS
The transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly is comparable to that of Adrienne Rich. What once started as feeble becomes
beautiful, bold, and admirable. Adrienne Rich’s transformation is comparable to this.
At age twenty-two, a girl sits on a brown leather chair in the study of her home. Her
wrists are crossed over each other, laying gently in her lap. She stares softly
into a camera lens, eyes clear and kind. A picture is taken. This is Adrienne
Rich. In the photograph (see figure one), it is hard to tell if she is aware of
the impact she will have, or if she knows what a powerhouse she will become. In
the photograph, Rich is centered in the middle, similar to how her work would become
the focus of her life. In the photograph, the dim light in the
study suggests the night is approaching and Rich has done her work for the day.
Yet, her work in life had only just begun.
Adrienne Rich was born on May 16, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended Radcliffe College and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor's Degree in English. Two years after, she married Alfred H. Conrad, a Harvard economist. The couple had three sons together before Rich had even turned thirty. To an outsider’s perspective, it would look like Rich was living a dream. Rich had begun writing poems as a young child, strongly encouraged by her father. Her early work was well received by her peers. Randall Jarrell, an American poet and literary critic, said “The poet [behind these poems] cannot help seeming to us a sort of princess in a fairytale.” Not only was her family and home life secure, her published work was receiving success and awards. However, Rich was deeply unhappy. The focus of her poems and prose shifted to become more controversial. She wrote about the role of women in society[1], racism[2], and the Vietnam War[3]. In 1970, she left her husband, who would go on to commit suicide within the same year. Though it would appear that Rich was losing her once dependable home life, she was actually much happier than she had even been before. Throughout the marriage, she felt bogged down by the pressure to fit the traditional role of a wife and mother. After the separation, she no longer felt bound to follow the belief that women were supposed to be quiet, soft, and gentle. Rich decided to say, and write, what was her own mind and actually have her work mean something. It was at this point in her life that Rich would be freed from her cocoon and become the butterfly she was meant to be.
Adrienne Rich was born on May 16, 1929 in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended Radcliffe College and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor's Degree in English. Two years after, she married Alfred H. Conrad, a Harvard economist. The couple had three sons together before Rich had even turned thirty. To an outsider’s perspective, it would look like Rich was living a dream. Rich had begun writing poems as a young child, strongly encouraged by her father. Her early work was well received by her peers. Randall Jarrell, an American poet and literary critic, said “The poet [behind these poems] cannot help seeming to us a sort of princess in a fairytale.” Not only was her family and home life secure, her published work was receiving success and awards. However, Rich was deeply unhappy. The focus of her poems and prose shifted to become more controversial. She wrote about the role of women in society[1], racism[2], and the Vietnam War[3]. In 1970, she left her husband, who would go on to commit suicide within the same year. Though it would appear that Rich was losing her once dependable home life, she was actually much happier than she had even been before. Throughout the marriage, she felt bogged down by the pressure to fit the traditional role of a wife and mother. After the separation, she no longer felt bound to follow the belief that women were supposed to be quiet, soft, and gentle. Rich decided to say, and write, what was her own mind and actually have her work mean something. It was at this point in her life that Rich would be freed from her cocoon and become the butterfly she was meant to be.
From looking at her work, readers are able to get a sense of Rich’s life. After her marriage ended, Rich came out as a lesbian. In her 1976 essay collection, “Of Woman Born,” Rich wrote for the first time from an openly lesbian viewpoint. She believed, “The suppressed lesbian I had been carrying in me since adolescence began to stretch her limbs.”[4] Rich was finally able to be the woman she wanted to be, which in her time period was still considered to be exceedingly controversial. In the essay collection, Rich gave voice to many issues surrounding parenthood and marriage. She once wrote, “All human life on the planet is born of woman. The one unifying, incontrovertible experience shared by all women and men is that months-long period we spent unfolding inside a woman’s body.” She was a pioneer of lesbian poets and writers, as she was one of the first openly gay writers. Rich was a feminist, but often described men as either cruel or emotionally needy towards women. She used her own personal experiences, first person narrative, and rich language to convey her message in each of her works.
Rich died on March 27, 2012 at her home in Santa Cruz, California. She had spent the second half of her life with fellow writer Michelle Cliff. In 1997, Rich refused to accept the National Medal of Arts under Bill Clinton’s presidency in order to protest his proposed funding cuts to the arts. In every aspect of her life, Rich advocated for what she thought was right. She left behind a legacy of being true to oneself, so that one could be honest with the rest of the world in order to make it a better place.
Figure Two
Adrienne Rich in 1987. Photograph: © Neal Boenzi/The New York Times
Reference List
Rich, Adrienne. On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected
Prose, 1966-1978. , 1979. Print
Rich, Adrienne. Of Woman Born: Motherhood As Experience
and Institution. New York: Bantam Books, 1977. Print.
"Adrienne Rich." Poets.org. Academy of American
Poets, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
“Feminist Poet Who Wrote of Politics and
Lesbian Identity, Dies at 82." The Washington Post. WP Company,
n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
Adrienne Rich seemed to be a strong and empowered woman even before coming out as a lesbian, as she wrote on so many topics that women were not supposed to talk about. Her taking full control of her life and not being afraid of who she is took her empowerment to another level and makes me admire her more. I read this because I thought I had not heard of her before, but I now think I may have read some of her poems and wish I had heard of her sooner. She reminds me of Antigone from the Greek tragedy, as they both push to be heard and strive for great things. Both stand up for what they believe, but in different ways. Were there any other times when Adrienne Rich refused something, like she did with the National Medal of Arts, to make a point about her beliefs?
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! I too wish I had heard about Rich sooner because her work is so impactful and she writes with such purpose. I am not aware of any other times Rich refused something to make a statement, but her acceptance of certain awards can also be seen as making a point about her beliefs. For example, in 1981, she received the Fund for Human Dignity Award of the National Gay Task Force. She obviously chose to accept this one because it has great meaning, and was a recognition, and celebration, of her work for the gay community.
DeleteThank you for your time reading this post and your insightful comment!
It surprised me how I had never heard of her or her poetic works before but now I'm interested to read them. She amazingly liberates herself from a life she despised and did what she truly wanted to do. She also stood up for herself, her ideals, and protested which is inspiring. Rich is similar to the character Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird because she aims to live her life on her own terms the way Rich does. Her Activism is probably well known throughout the feminist community but I don't know a ton about that. I was just wondering why Rich isn't more celebrated or recognized?
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina! I too was surprised that Rich had not been on my radar earlier and am so grateful I was introduced to her because her life story and her work are so formidable. I had not made the connection with "To Kill a Mockingbird" before, but you definitely have a point. Not only do Scout and Rich both strive to be their own unique person, but they were both so head-strong in doing so. It is upsetting that a woman with as important of a message that Rich had did not receive more attention, but those who have heard or read her definitely understood her message, which is a feat itself. In her field she is definitely well-known so her work has received high praises and success, but if everyone read from her work, we sure would have a lot more feminists in the world (or so we could hope).
DeleteThank you so much for your time reading this blog post and for your thought-provoking comment!
I was initially surprised to learn that Adrienne Rich had convinced everyone that she was content with her lifestyle, and that Rich's early poetry made her seem like a "princess in a fairytale." I also greatly respect her decision to not accept the National Medal of Arts to protest against Bill Clinton. Rich's life is very similar to the main character of the book "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield. Much like Holden, Rich grew up in a seemingly ideal home environment. As she grew older, she became more aware of current issues, inevitably affecting her mental health. While Holden did not necessarily leave a specific person to pursue his own happiness like Rich did, he did leave the private school he was attending to find himself in New York City. I personally had never heard of Rich before reading your blog, and am wondering if it was difficult to find information on her?
ReplyDeleteHi Molly! I really enjoyed reading your comment as "The Catcher in the Rye" was my favorite novel that I read in high school. Rich and Caulfield both dealt with alienation in their personal lives and faced tremendous adversity before seeking a more fulfilling life; their courage in doing so is nothing less than awe-inspiring. As for your question about finding information on Rich, I actually found that once I started researching, it was hard to stop. I only became aware of Rich recently, but she is definitely well-known and respected in her field, meaning there is plenty to read about her, including her own works. Rich writes with such a strong voice and powerful message that her words are captivating, so if you have not yet read any of her pieces, I encourage you to do so!
DeleteThank you again for your time reading this post and for your well thought-out comment!
The analyzation of a simple picture portrays much eloquence and passion, very admiring to say the least. Adrienne Rich would have surely been honored to read such a wonderful story, and I am genuinely inspired by the simplicity of your writing that uncovers the many layers of her life so cohesively.
ReplyDeleteThere are no words for how touched and moved I am by her incredible story, which exemplifies a bravery only seen when one has tapped into their true purpose. It is comparable to the character of Antigone, in the Sophocles play.
To openly speak and defend their stance on a forbidden subject was a trait that made them the legends that they are now, although not deemed so during their time. A pattern that seems to repeat itself in history is the silent acceptance and agreement from others who were too intimidated by society's judgments. Yet, with one brave voice comes another, and before anyone can stop the tables from turning, one woman has created a revolution. It is a shame that she is not alive to see the immense impact she has caused, but considering their passion, perhaps they knew that the future generations would accept such a radical idea rather than their society that’s foundation was shaken by their preposterous views.
Today, women and men have come together to celebrate in Adrienne Rich’s cause. Such as the recent Women’s March that gave a voice to thousands who felt silenced, but it is because of courageous activists’ that spoke up long ago that they had the strength to do this. There will never be enough words, actions, and gratitude that would amount to how much love we owe to Adrienne Rich and I personally thank you for introducing her into my life.
How is it that you stay devoted to your work in literacy when there is no bigger platform than this blog? Have you done more to help people become aware of your idols? I find it hard myself to write with such eloquence when I know that at the end of the day, the people who hear it most do not. Such as world leaders, but then again, change starts inside one another before we can bring change unto others. Sincerely, Sothearavisal Tounvann
Hi Sothearavisal! Your comment reminded me of the quote by Maggie Kuhn "Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." I think this quote can be applied to most everything in life; there is never not a good time to speak your truth and potentially educate others to your world view, even though that can be a frightening concept. I think change only comes when the majority desire to leave the world better than when they found it; Adrienne Rich is one example of this. Though her life seemed perfect to outsiders, she was deeply unhappy and it took a lot of courage to uproot her world by leaving her husband, coming out as a lesbian, and pursuing a career as a feminist and activist. We can only imagine how difficult this decision was, yet her doing so carved a path for others to follow and let the world know that women could write successfully and that women could love other women, and neither of these facts would cause the world to burn.
DeleteThank you for your time reading the blog and for your intriguing comment and stimulating questions!
Rich is truly empowering to myself and every women out here. She's literally a legacy. She was so brave for coming out as a lesbian which was a really controversial thing in her time period. I really connected with her quote " All human life on the planet is born of women" because it s so true and you never really think about these things. So if women are the ones who birth men than why are men the ones who torture women and treat them differently? Like you came from her, she brought you into this world she can sure as hell take you out. This topic kind of infuriates me because it irks me when people regardless of race, gender, religions, sexual orientation are discriminated against. This may or may not be related to this topic based on how you see it, but a while back this year I rad a book called "The Catcher In the Rye" and in one scene Holden, the main character, was in a hotel room and out the window he saw a transvestite. It was a man who was alone and dressed like a women. It saddened me reading this part because he had to shelter himself from the cruel world. Besides this, the wording on this article is truly sensational because you took a picture and told a story more than a thousand words with it. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Adrienne Rich and you.
ReplyDeleteHi Shivani! I completely agree with you about how empowering Rich was during her lifetime, and how much of an impact her legacy still has. You make a good connection with "The Catcher in the Rye," as both Holden and Rich struggled with alienation and overcame adversity. Another great Rich comes which comes from the same novel as that one ("Of Woman Born") is "There is nothing revolutionary whatsoever about the control of women's bodies by men. The woman's body is the terrain on which patriarchy is erected.” I think this quote goes along with what you were pointing out about how if women bring all the men into the world, why is it that women are the oppressed ones? Unfortunately there is no answer because one body of people should never oppress another.
DeleteThank you for your time reading this post and for your conscious and purposeful comment!