Adrienne Rich - poetry - 1976 - p. 80

The first book writer and activist Adrienne Rich published after coming out publicly as a lesbian, this collection of poetry is divided into three sections. The first, “Power,” focuses on accomplishments of famous women and collectively emphasizes the need for women to be able to succeed and wield power in ways that do not capitulate to heteropatriarchal ends. “Twenty-one Love Poems,” the second section, contemplates the balance of alienation and intimacy in lesbian relationships, which are constantly invalidated by the larger society in which they take place. The final section, “Not Somewhere Else, But Here,” takes a more ecological approach, examining the relationship between women and nature as well as positing the need for a changed language to redefine gendered hierarchies of power.

Key elements: feminism, homosexuality, lesbian