Diving into the Wreck: Analysis of Setting
"Diving into the Wreck: Analysis of Setting" explores various settings that shape the emotional and thematic landscape of the poems within the collection. The New York subway serves as a backdrop for the expression of anger and the exploration of the female psyche, contrasting the city's vibrant life with the internal struggles of the speaker. In another setting, the picturesque yet devastated landscape of southern Ohio highlights the impact of strip mining as a metaphor for the loss of female power and betrayal. The exploration of a wrecked ship at the ocean's bottom symbolizes untold female histories, inviting readers to connect with a shared narrative of loss and resilience. The Atlantic Ocean, though unnamed, is suggested as a universal space that holds these collective experiences. Overall, the settings not only ground the poems in specific locations but also serve to enhance the emotional depth and inclusivity of the themes, prompting readers to reflect on their own connections to these landscapes and experiences. This overview reveals how the physical environments depicted in the poems contribute to a broader dialogue about identity and shared history.
Diving into the Wreck: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1973
Type of work: Poetry
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
*New York subway
*New York subway. “The Phenomenology of Anger” describes the subway of New York City moving toward Brooklyn. The journey through the speaker’s anger takes place against the city landscape, while “walking on Broadway,” or while riding the subway. The dreamlike state depicted in the poem dramatizes the female psyche that Rich is determined to awaken.
*Southern Ohio
*Southern Ohio. In “When We Dead Awaken,” the phrase “lovely landscape of southern Ohio” is juxtaposed against the devastation left by strip mining, which the region has had to endure. The mining process is used as a metaphor for the stripping away of female power. Moreover, the area becomes a place of betrayal.
Wrecked ship
Wrecked ship. Ruins of a wrecked ship at the bottom of the sea are explored in “Diving into the Wreck,” the title poem of the collection. Although it is not named, the Atlantic Ocean is probably the sea that houses the wreck that the speaker of the poem explores. The wreck and the sea are not named because they must be inclusive, not exclusive. The primary symbol of the poem, representing unrecovered female history, seeks to identify with all its readers, as the final stanza reinforces: “We are, I am, you are/ . . . a book of myths/ in which/ our names do not appear.”
Bibliography
Flynn, Gale. “The Radicalization of Adrienne Rich.” Hollins Critic 11 (1974): 1-15. Describes the complex evolution of a poet through her poetry, including Diving into the Wreck. Examines her political ideology and its impact on her works.
Jong, Erica. “Visionary Anger.” Ms. 2, no. 1 (July, 1973): 30-34. Thoughtfully examines Diving into the Wreck in the context of Rich’s philosophy and past work. Assesses her impact on feminist thought.
Rich, Adrienne. Adrienne Rich’s Poetry: Texts of the Poems: The Poet on Her Work: Reviews and Criticism. Edited by Barbara Charesworth Gelphi and Albert Gelphi. New York: W. W. Norton, 1975. A thoughtful study of the author’s work.
Rich, Adrienne. Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution. New York: W. W. Norton, 1976. Analyzes motherhood as an institution and as a personal experience, using sociological theory and history to examine the significance of motherhood.
Rich, Adrienne. On Lies, Secrets, and Silences: Selected Prose, 1966-1978. New York: W. W. Norton, 1979. Presents a detailed account of her intellectual rebirth through her prose. Identifies the literary works and figures who have influenced her.