Diving Into the wreck

Poetry Response – Adrienne Rich Diving into the Wreck

Diving into the Wreck is full of awakening and discovery, along with angst. Rich rejects male mythology in the title poem and discusses contemporary and liberal views throughout the collection. The Lannan Video shows Rich’s use of powerful, vivid language, at times offensive but always necessary as in From the Prison House. Her poetry speaks out against injustices and focuses on a writer’s duty to keep these injustices in focus. Her poems are clearheaded rather than fanciful and force the reader to ponder the why, what and how questions she often poses in them.
The title poem, “Diving into the Wreck,” is an amazing example of the power of word choice and placement. The first stanza uses a descriptive quality to take the reader along in the suiting up of a diver on this journey to dispel old myths. Lines 6, 7, and 10 make use of evocative adjectives such as absurd, grave, and assiduous to color the situa...