28377837
Description
Mind Map by Joseph Gianotti, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Joseph Gianotti
almost 4 years ago
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|
"Planetarium" by Adrienne Rich
- Author Background
- Adrienne Rich, b. 1929 in
Baltimore, MD, d. 2012.
- Began in the 1950s – her
work became increasingly
radical throughout the '60s
and '70s.
- This is when she became
exposed to free-verse
poetry and feminist
philosophy.
- Her later poetry was
integral to the
development of 2nd wave
feminism.
- Her later poetry was
integral to the
development of 2nd wave
feminism.
- She was the recipient of
many awards over the
course of her career.
- She refused the National
Medal of Arts in 1997 from
President Clinton for
political reasons.
- Rich was very outspoken
about the political power
of poetry.
- Rich was very outspoken
about the political power
of poetry.
- She refused the National
Medal of Arts in 1997 from
President Clinton for
political reasons.
- This is when she became
exposed to free-verse
poetry and feminist
philosophy.
- Began in the 1950s – her
work became increasingly
radical throughout the '60s
and '70s.
- Adrienne Rich, b. 1929 in
Baltimore, MD, d. 2012.
- Poem Background
- Published in 1968, which
was a central point in the
Civil Rights Movement and
an early period of 2nd wave
feminism.
- Less than a year earlier,
23-year-old Jocelyn Bell was
excluded from a Nobel Prize
for her role in the discovery
of the pulsar (integral to our
current understanding of the
universe). Rich refers to
pulsars in the last stanza of
this poem.
- Features an epigraph to
Caroline Herschel (1750 -
1848), who was the first
professional woman
astronomer.
- She was the
first woman
to be
admitted into
the Royal
Astronomical
Society and
the first
woman to
receive a
salary as a
scientist.
- In this poem, Rich captures many
of Herschel’s accomplishments.
Her older brother, William
Herschel, was also an astronomer,
but was more famous for his
discovery of the planet Uranus.
- Rich identified with the
challenges Herschel faced in
a male-dominated world and
field.
- In a 1971 essay,
Rich said that
this was the
first time she
identified with a
persona in one
of her poems.
- In an article from an issue of
Lady Science, Leila A. McNeill
shares her view that Rich
focuses on the idea of
mythmaking. Women face
abuse in many of the myths
written into the stars, but Rich
recognizes that she has the
ability to rewrite or reinterpret
those stories written by men.
- Rich didn’t like
how centuries of
male writers
have depicted
women.
- Rich didn’t like
how centuries of
male writers
have depicted
women.
- In a 1971 essay,
Rich said that
this was the
first time she
identified with a
persona in one
of her poems.
- Rich identified with the
challenges Herschel faced in
a male-dominated world and
field.
- She was the
first woman
to be
admitted into
the Royal
Astronomical
Society and
the first
woman to
receive a
salary as a
scientist.
- Features an epigraph to
Caroline Herschel (1750 -
1848), who was the first
professional woman
astronomer.
- Less than a year earlier,
23-year-old Jocelyn Bell was
excluded from a Nobel Prize
for her role in the discovery
of the pulsar (integral to our
current understanding of the
universe). Rich refers to
pulsars in the last stanza of
this poem.
- Published in 1968, which
was a central point in the
Civil Rights Movement and
an early period of 2nd wave
feminism.
- Poem Breakdown
- Poem Analysis
- Structure
- Extremely irregular
structure.
- Breaks down the
idea of what a
poem should look
like; this is
reflective of the
women mentioned
in the poem, who
break social
conventions.
- Breaks down the
idea of what a
poem should look
like; this is
reflective of the
women mentioned
in the poem, who
break social
conventions.
- Extremely irregular
structure.
- Perspective
- This poem was
written using
multiple
perspectives.
- The beginning
offers
Herschel’s
story in 3rd
person.
Tycho’s story
is also in 3rd
person.
- Abruptly, Rich
writes in 1st
person (a
collective ‘we’)
pointing to her
identification with
Herschel.
Herschel and Rich
both are able to
observe their
world (and
change their
perception by
their own will).
- Rich closes the
poem with 1st
person (‘I’).
- Perhaps this is Rich’s
way of showing hope
that she, too, can be
more and can
question the way
women’s stories have
been written.
- Perhaps this is Rich’s
way of showing hope
that she, too, can be
more and can
question the way
women’s stories have
been written.
- Rich closes the
poem with 1st
person (‘I’).
- Abruptly, Rich
writes in 1st
person (a
collective ‘we’)
pointing to her
identification with
Herschel.
Herschel and Rich
both are able to
observe their
world (and
change their
perception by
their own will).
- The beginning
offers
Herschel’s
story in 3rd
person.
Tycho’s story
is also in 3rd
person.
- This poem was
written using
multiple
perspectives.
- Poetic Devices
- Allusion
- Tycho Brahe: famous
Danish astronomer
- NOVA: astronomical
event that causes
sudden appearance
of a bright star that
appears new, but
eventually fades
- Uranus: planet
famously discovered by
Caroline Herschel’s
brother, William
- Taurus: A
constellation; the
Seven Sisters are a
group of stars in this
formation that
supposedly are
chased by the hunter
Orion every night.
- Taurus: A
constellation; the
Seven Sisters are a
group of stars in this
formation that
supposedly are
chased by the hunter
Orion every night.
- Uranus: planet
famously discovered by
Caroline Herschel’s
brother, William
- NOVA: astronomical
event that causes
sudden appearance
of a bright star that
appears new, but
eventually fades
- Tycho Brahe: famous
Danish astronomer
- Extra Spaces
- The poem is
broken up in a
way to convey
intense
emotions.
- Extra spaces
create
moments to
pause
between
sections.
- Extra spaces
create
moments to
pause
between
sections.
- The poem is
broken up in a
way to convey
intense
emotions.
- Enjambment
- Most of the
poem has
thoughts
continue from
one line to
another
without
punctuation.
- This puts
emphasis on
the chaotic,
unconventional
structure and
subject of the
poem.
- This puts
emphasis on
the chaotic,
unconventional
structure and
subject of the
poem.
- Most of the
poem has
thoughts
continue from
one line to
another
without
punctuation.
- Imagery
- Rich’s imagery
in this poem
focuses around
astronomical
phenomena.
- It calls to mind
the stars and
constellations.
- It calls to mind
the stars and
constellations.
- Rich’s imagery
in this poem
focuses around
astronomical
phenomena.
- Metaphor
- The poem opens
with metaphor,
where a woman is
monster-shaped, but
the monster is also
woman-shaped. Rich
makes a connection
between this
metaphor and the
next stanza –
Caroline Herschel,
too, is a
monster-shaped
woman or a
woman-shaped
monster.
- “I have been
standing all my life
in the direct path
of a battery of
signals the most
accurately
transmitted most
untranslatable
language in the
universe”
- Possibly meant
half literally/half
figuratively. But
again, talking
about the
universe and how
women fit into it.
- “I am a galactic
cloud so deep” –
Women have
depth and
substance (I know!
Shocking...)
- Rich writes this
poem in the
1960s, amidst
her
transformation
into a poet of
feminist
politics.
- Rich writes this
poem in the
1960s, amidst
her
transformation
into a poet of
feminist
politics.
- “I am a galactic
cloud so deep” –
Women have
depth and
substance (I know!
Shocking...)
- Possibly meant
half literally/half
figuratively. But
again, talking
about the
universe and how
women fit into it.
- “I have been
standing all my life
in the direct path
of a battery of
signals the most
accurately
transmitted most
untranslatable
language in the
universe”
- The poem opens
with metaphor,
where a woman is
monster-shaped, but
the monster is also
woman-shaped. Rich
makes a connection
between this
metaphor and the
next stanza –
Caroline Herschel,
too, is a
monster-shaped
woman or a
woman-shaped
monster.
- Personification
- “She whom the
moon ruled”
- The moon has a
power over
Herschel (and to
all women in the
context of Rich’s
poem).
- Interesting to
note that the
skies are
personified in
connection with
female
astronomers, but
not male
astronomers.
- Interesting to
note that the
skies are
personified in
connection with
female
astronomers, but
not male
astronomers.
- The moon has a
power over
Herschel (and to
all women in the
context of Rich’s
poem).
- “She whom the
moon ruled”
- Allusion
- Structure
- Poem Themes
- Internalized Sexism
- Parts of this poem can be
read as a reaction against
internalized sexism among
great thinkers who are
women.
- Caroline Herschel wrote “I
am nothing” when asked
about her life’s work
alongside her older
brother. She had a poor
image of her incredible
contributions to
astronomy.
- Rich ends the poem with
an acknowledgement that
she is actively trying to
correct her way of
thinking and observing
the world. – ‘for the relief
of the body and the
reconstruction of the
mind’
- Also, the idea of “galaxies of
women” needing to pay for
what men have written
down as their bad behavior.
- All types of
constellations depicting
women suffering/being
punished: Cassiopeia
chained to her thrown,
Andromeda chained to a
rock as a sacrifice, and
more.
- All types of
constellations depicting
women suffering/being
punished: Cassiopeia
chained to her thrown,
Andromeda chained to a
rock as a sacrifice, and
more.
- Also, the idea of “galaxies of
women” needing to pay for
what men have written
down as their bad behavior.
- Rich ends the poem with
an acknowledgement that
she is actively trying to
correct her way of
thinking and observing
the world. – ‘for the relief
of the body and the
reconstruction of the
mind’
- Caroline Herschel wrote “I
am nothing” when asked
about her life’s work
alongside her older
brother. She had a poor
image of her incredible
contributions to
astronomy.
- Parts of this poem can be
read as a reaction against
internalized sexism among
great thinkers who are
women.
- Persistance
- “I am bombarded yet I stand”
- Literally, the woman in this
poem has to work against
radio signals.
- Figuratively, the woman in this
poem is pushing back against
society.
- “What we see, we see / And
seeing is changing”
- “What we see, we see / And
seeing is changing”
- Figuratively, the woman in this
poem is pushing back against
society.
- Literally, the woman in this
poem has to work against
radio signals.
- “I am bombarded yet I stand”
- Importance of Women's
Contributions (to
Science & Art)
- Rich focuses this poem on
the life of Caroline
Herschel (and others).
- Caroline Herschel was an
astronomer in her own
right, beyond helping her
brother with his work.
- Rich points out that she
in her 98 years she
discovered 8 comets.
- Rich points out that she
in her 98 years she
discovered 8 comets.
- Caroline Herschel was an
astronomer in her own
right, beyond helping her
brother with his work.
- Rich focuses this poem on
the life of Caroline
Herschel (and others).
- Internalized Sexism
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