The Progession of Poems

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Recommended: Theme of freedom in poetry

Adrienne Rich and Paulo Freire have common themes on transformation and society. Both talk about the transforming of society and the relationships between people in their writing. Freire talked about the way teachers teach the students with no contradiction, as they sit there waiting to be filled with information. Rich uses a similar theory in her essay, "When We Dead Awaken," where she addresses society and the way they have been oppressed. While the two have similar theories, they have much different ways of expressing their argument. Freire used an argumental style of writing to address that change is needed in society, while Rich used poems as a way for the reader to understand her argument. Rich expresses feelings, emotions, and thoughts in her poetry which are all distinct, and need to be incorporated with poetry. She represents reality in her poetry in a way that the reader can interpret by using personal experiences. She stresses the way female poets have been oppressed by the male race throughout history, and her struggle to overcome this struggle in her life.

Re-vision is a concept that allows the author to see where they are going with their text. Rich looked back at what she wrote in her poetry and would view it from another perspective, allowing her to notice the transformation in her writing. The first of her poems "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," is used to back up her views on society. This poem was written while Rich was a student, yet to experience the concept of marriage in her life. At this point in her life she was torn between "the girl who wrote poems and the girl who was define by the relationship with men" (Rich 632). The words "The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band sits heavily upon Aun...

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...es' "Banking Concept" was evident among Adrienne Richs' writing. She used her own knowledge to fill her mind with new ideas; to revise her poems so they could be accepted in society. Instead of changing society, she reformed the way she wrote by questioning her lifestyle. By creating a new identity for herself she was able to overcome the constraints of men. Revision and transformation were incorporated into Richs' essay through her poems to back up her views on feminism and society. Her goal as a writer is to make the reader go back and question their original opinions, restructuring themselves, not the traditions of society.

Works Cited

Rich, Adrienne. "When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Revision" Ways of Reading. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Boston: Bredfors/ St.Martins, 2002.624-650

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