Poetry and Feminism.3

Women

by Adrienne Rich




My three sisters are sitting
on rocks of black obsidian.
For the first time, in this light, I can see who they are.

My first sister is sewing her costume for the procession.
She is going as the Transparent lady
and all her nerves will be visible.

My second sister is also sewing,
at the seam over her heart which has never healed entirely,
At last, she hopes, this tightness in her chest will ease.

My third sister is gazing
at a dark-red crust spreading westward far out on the sea.
Her stockings are torn but she is beautiful.

Today, after reading Jane Addams, my class read and talked about Adrienne Rich's poem, "Women." The students saw the three sisters of Rich's poem as a progression or development--the first two sewing (an activity traditionally associated with women), while the third sister is experienced and worn, but is aware of infinite possibilities.

I used the poem to highlight two possible ways of reading Addams: first, you can understand her as simply offering pragmatic arguments for an expanded role for women; or, you can read her as concerned with a particular role for women, one still connected to women's traditional role, although also changed. The first Addams would be thrilled with Rich's poem; the second would have reservations, especially with the third sister, I think. The students noted affinities between Rich's poem and Addams's thought, including the praise of experience over naivete.