Tag Archives: Adrienne Rich

The Decision to Stay or to Leave

By Robin Bates | Published: March 7, 2022

To leave Ukraine or stay in it: these poems grapple with such a dilemma.

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Lit as a Life Survival Kit

By Robin Bates | Published: February 10, 2022

When I teach literature, I emphasize application first, interpretation second.

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Adrienne Rich Keeps Immigrants Human

By Robin Bates | Published: November 5, 2018

Adrienne Rich uses poetry to keep immigrants human, which is essential under Trump.

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Trumpist Masculinity Isn’t Kind to Men

By Robin Bates | Published: November 28, 2016

In a story which is only too timely, the Washington Post recently reported that “sexist men have psychological problems.” Adrienne Rich was talking about this over 60 years ago in poems like “The Knight.”

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Poetry that Reclaims Women’s Bodies

By Robin Bates | Published: May 13, 2015

A former student, in her senior project, used feminist poems as the basis for art workshops designed to help women feel better about their bodies.

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Rich Reflects on Yom Kippur & Conflict

By Robin Bates | Published: October 5, 2014

Adrienne Rich’s meditates on the meaning of Yom Kippur in light of America’s divisions and her own longing for solitude.

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Adrienne Rich’s Final Dive

By Robin Bates | Published: March 29, 2012

In “Diving into the Wreck” Adrienne Rich surveyed the wreckage of post-World War II relationships and charted new paths.

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The Immigrant’s Choice

By Robin Bates | Published: April 12, 2011

Adrienne Rich has a well-known poem that is powerful in large part because it captures, simply and directly, the immigrant’s plight. Rich depicts immigration as a stark choice—either one goes through the door or one doesn’t. The decision has immense ramifications, both positive and negative.

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Our New Poet Laureate

By Robin Bates | Published: July 7, 2010

W. S. Merwin  A very fine poet, W. S. Merwin, has been named our new poet laureate. Because he was a friend of my former colleague Lucille Clifton, I was able to meet Merwin when he visited St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He lives in Hawaii and has been working hard to preserve their rain […]

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