Rich

Imaginative Transformation Adrienne Rich writes, “For a poem to coalesce, for a character or an action to take shape, there has to be an imaginative transformation of reality which is no way passive…”(610). Imaginative transformation means to be able to look at something from different perspectives, what might seem black to one might be white to the another. Imaginative transformation allows one to express themselves freely through their imagination and question the way things are. …

…her outer life. In this poem Rich portrays what can happen to an individual who accepts the fate prescribed by customs. If one considers that this could have been written during a time of social unrest and change, the overall message of this poem is that men suppress women. However, this poem demonstrates that even in their suppression women can still create worthwhile things and imagine what they can do if they had their freedom.