There is no denying that lesbian poets have garnered the same respect and recognition as heterosexual women poets. Adrienne Rich is one of the most acknowledged contemporary woman poets, especially regarding feminist women poets. The Black Arts Movement is incomplete without discussing Audre Lorde’s protest poetry. Gertrude Stein is viewed as the inspiration for the […]
Author Archive | Gabby Casapulla
Don’t Read This. Read Stories Written by Black Women.
“The Poetics of Self-writing: Women and the National Body in the Works of Lucille Clifton” by Dr. Tanfer Emin Tunç explains the deep intersectionality that exists between racial studies and feminism as exemplified through the work of Lucille Clifton’s autobiography and her poetry. Dr. Tunç is a professor at University in Ankara, Turkey in their […]
Context matters, but also who cares?
I will admit, this week’s poems were hard for me to read. Understanding language poetry does not come easily to me because there is an erasure of concrete meanings applied to the words. However, it does heavily remind me of Gertrude Stein, whose work I have grown to love because it pushes me as a […]
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Are Still Stuck in the Painting
This week I felt very inspired by “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich. The poem is short and sweet yet encompasses so many ideas and feelings within its three stanzas. I want to start by analyzing the word choices Rich uses. Her word choice draws out contrasting characteristics between the fragile Aunt Jennifer and her […]
How Many Times Does The Boy Have to Die?
I fear Gwendolyn Brooks’ “The Boy Died in My Alley,” written in 1975, could’ve been written yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. And I pray not tomorrow. Brooks’ poem aims to address the epidemic of African American boys dying at the hands of gun violence. The shooter is not included […]
August 29th: A Poem for Suicide Prevention Month
*TW: suicide August 29th I turned Four today. Blew out the bright white light, again. This time it’s a celebration. I tried my best to blow it out once Four years ago. But I couldn’t finish it. I guess, I’m no good at it. Dad didn’t raise a quitter. But I never saw […]
I Wish I Could Give John Ashbery a Hug
John Ashbery’s “The Problem of Anxiety” is an emotional poem that intertwines themes of depression and aging. The poem is short and seemingly straightforward. However, there are many contradictions within Ashbery’s poem that allude to the narrator’s uneasy and distorted state of mind. I want to start by analyzing the poem’s tone. Throughout the entire […]
An Emotional Rollercoaster
Upon reading Denise Levertov’s “Life at War,” I found myself at war with how I should feel. It was as though each stanza intentionally brought me to a different emotion, leaving me as the reader unsure of how Levertov wanted me to feel collectively. This poem has many moments of joy and beauty. In […]
La Matriarca
“’The Willingness to Speak:’ Diane di Prima and Italian American Feminist Body Politics,” written by Rosanne Giannini Quinn, discusses Diane di Prima’s significance within the context of Italian American culture. Quinn highlights many pieces of di Prima as well as many movements that she was a part of. This article was written in 2003 for […]