Being a Second Class Women

(Continued discussion of Adrienne Rich's "Power" and Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese," a sequence)

As I looked closer, I realized there are many feminine words or phrases in "Wild Geese." I am going to embrace right now that I am being very stereotypical, but I think this is necessary for the piece to see it's connection to women. Phrases like "soft animal" and "love what it loves" seem girly. The first examples makes one think of a soft, cuddly toy. The second example seems to be female-focused because it is love based, which is often associated with women. The line, "Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine," is feminine, because it is generally considered a female characterist to be nurturing and overemotional. Words such as "clean" stereotypically make one think of a women cleaning. "Family" connotes females, as does "pebble," because it is a euphony, which is softer and more feminine.

I thought about other ways this poem could be related to women. This is a Women's Literature class, after all. Then I realized, who was "you" directed to? I suggested to the class that this poem was addressing women. It made perfect sense. Women "do not have to be good," they just have to fit "in the family of things" - "family" being the structure of men and women. They have to act as second class citizens. This is why Oliver implied that our actions do not matter. Women "do not have to be good," because whether they are good or bad, they are still second to men.

But what, then, was the purpose of the cacophonous words such as "harsh" and the repetition of "the wild geese," Alex S asked? "The wild geese" are men. The image of these animals "head home again" are to remind the reader of men stereotypically returning home after work. They call to women in a "harsh" way, "announcing your place in the family of things."This means they are imposing their male-driven society on women. They are forcing women, as I said earlier, into second class citizenship. This is the reason for the line "Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine." Women's discussion with each other about feelings is their only escape from the men, "the wild geese." They are trying to save each other from this inferiority cast upon them.

The line about sharing despair with one another in "Wild Geese" has an almost identical line in "Power." The phrase "melancholy a tonic/ for living on this earth" suggests and universality to melancholy and despair, as well as a universality to sharing this depression and hopelessness with one another as an escape mechanism.

In the final stanza of "Power," "she" and "her" are mentioned four times. One would initially assume these feminine pronouns refer to Marie Curie, as she is the focus of the previous stanza and no other women are mentioned. However, I would argue, in the same logic of "you" being intended for women, "she" and "her" are referring to all women as well. The repeated mention of "her wounds" suggests that all women have wounds, made clear by both Rich and Oliver in their discussions of "despair" and "melancholy." The final word, "power," suggests that women try to gain power in society. This issue was brought up by Mary Oliver, who said "the wild geese... announc[ed women's] ... place in the family of things."

Being Present, Making an Impact

When first reading "Power" by Adrienne Rich and "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver, I saw no connection of these poems to women's literature. I saw "Wild Geese" is telling the reader to be present, through the line, "Meanwhile the world goes on." I think this line perfectly summarizes the poem. It doesn't matter if you are good or bad, just "let the soft animal of your body love what it loves," and the world will go on uninfluenced by your presence, it says.

"Power," on the other hand, is very focused on the past, looking at the death of Marie Curie. The image of the "perfect a hundred-year-old" medicine bottle that is discovered suggests that it has left an impact on the earth, because a hundred years later, it is still there. In fact, it is even more valuable now than it was then. It's impact is even greater; it has grown in importance, just like Marie Curie. Her work in science is still impactful and very important now despite her death. In spite of Rich's discussion of denial, suffering, and death, the poem is more upbeat than Oliver's in that it suggests our actions matter, while Oliver does not. Need I remind you of her poem's most important line, "Meanwhile the world goes on"? The phrase could easy be followed with "no matter what you do."

"Meanwhile the world goes on" also suggests to the reader that you be aware, be aware of "the sun and the clear pebbles of rain, [of] ...the landscapes... the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers." This awareness of nature and the world around you is deeply connected to being present. However, it is clear that Oliver is suggesting presence still does not make an impact on the world, because the best anyone can do is observe. There are no Marie Curies in "Wild Geese;" there are observers and not doers.

Marie Curie "let the soft animal of [her] ... body love what it loves" and died because of it. "Wild Geese" would say "the world goes on," but "Power" suggests that her love for science left an impact on the scientific world today.