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Leandra LaRonde
Professor Rines
UWRT 1100
7 February 2015
A Genre Theorem: Feminist Poetry
What is feminist poetry? Before delving into this genre I must first explain the word
feminism. Feminism by definition is: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality
of the sexes. (M erriam-Webster) Feminist poetry is a genre that came about during the feminist

Commented [O1]: Citation needed

movement of the 1960s. In this time, many writers came forth such as Audrey Lorde, Adrienne
Rich and Anne Waldman to bring this genre to the forefront. The genre of Feminist poetry is an
important part of womens history because it played a vital role in reflecting and reconfiguring

Commented [O2]: This introduction needs to be extended

to include more information on feminist poetry and a thesis
statement.

the feminist movement's agendas for social and cultural transformation. (Crown 645) It also
gives critical accounts of the dramatic outpouring of poetry by women since the 1960s and
new and deeply historical models for understanding this particularly decisive entry of poetry
into the public domain (Crown 645)
Feminist poetry is identified as having very recognizable features such as romanticism
and personal lyric (Feminist M easures, 5). Through the discourse modes of narrative, description
and information authors use this genre to explore the female experience that is most times in

Commented [O3]: No comma in a correct MLA citation

Commented [O4]: Is this the only discourse mode?

the first-person (Feminist M easures, 5). Common core features themes of feminist poetry draw
from the discussion of female sexuality, the cycles of the female body, female friendships and
familial relations, and the consequences of womens oppression in patriarchy (Feminist
M easures, 5). All of these features themes are a part of the afore-mentioned features and come
together as a schemaschemas under one concept of social awareness and self-realization

Commented [O5]: These are themes, not features

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(Napikoski, Feminist Poetry). This genre has a wide reaching audience. It touches women and
girls of all ages as well men. It is a common misconception that men must be left out in the topic

Commented [O6]: How do you know this?

of feminism but in actuality I believe they are just as important of an audience as women.

Commented [O7]: Your personal belief is irrelevant. Since

this is a genre analysis, it should focus solely on the facts.

(Digby 57).
From this genre, there are many biaseshas been a bias toward one specific kind of
feminist poetry that limits the wide umbrella that this concept covers. Some audiences believe

Commented [O8]: Im not sure I understand what you are

saying here.

that a feminist poem must come from women solely to truly convey the experiences that women
go through. Though women are can be definitely seen as an authority on this genre, there are
many things to be discussed and addressed that can be based from the male point of view. M ale

Commented [O9]: Who believes this?

Commented [O10]: According to who?

feminist poet Charles Bernstein shows that men can in fact write in this genre with his poetic
collections such as Girly M an where he addresses the patriarchal automaton that is current
society. In his poem The Ballad of the Girlie M an, Bernstein says:
The truth is hidden in a veil of tears/ The scabs of the mourners grow thick with fear/ A
democracy once proposed/ Is slimmed and grimed again/ By men with brute design/ Who
prefer hate to rime.
He uses the discourse mode of narrative to give another take on society and the experiences

Commented [O11]: Dont indent here, unless this is a new

paragraph.

women go through in modern times. I thinkT his audience targets women but more so men

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because he is trying to broaden the views of many males who believe feminism does not apply to

Commented [O12]: Again, its not about what you think.

Only state the facts.

them. This poem definitely exemplifies feminist poetry because it discusses some of the main
features of this genre: patriarchal society, womens empowerment, and the female experience.

Commented [O13]: This claim is not established in your

analysis.

Another bias of feminist poetry is the idea that feminist poetry is angry or meant to bash
things that the authors do not agree with (Farrell 130). Though feminist poetry can come from a

Commented [O14]: Where are these biases coming from?

Where did you get this information from?

place of anger, it is not limited to suchFeminist poetry can come from many emotions. That is

Commented [O15]: According to who?

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why this genre is also argumentative in its discourse. In the poem Is/Not by M argaret Atwood,
she argues the definition of common ideas in society such as sex and love. Atwood makes this
argument in her poem saying that:
Love is not a profession/ genteel or otherwise/ sex is not dentistry/ the slick filling of
aches and cavities/ you are not my doctor/ you are not my cure/ nobody has that power/
you are merely a fellow traveler/ Give up this medical concern/ buttoned, attentive/
permit yourself anger/ and permit me mine/ which needs neither/ your approval nor your
surprise/ which does not need to be made legal/ which is not against a disease/ but against
you/ which does not need to be understood/ or washed or cauterized/ which needs
instead/ to be said and said/ Permit me the present tense.
This poem shows that feminist poetry can argue a point without conforming to the
common follies of what is thought to be the only form of feminist poetry. The audience most
befitting of this poem would probably women in their late teens and older because it is of a more
adult content. It is speaking to modern women of today even though the words of this poem
could be applied to any time period. According to a biography on this author: Atwoods poems,
concern modern womans anguish at finding herself isolated and exploited (although also
exploiting) by the imposition of a sex role power Istructure (Poetry Foundation). think
although this audience is meant for more mature women, more and more young women in the
12-17 age range are discovering this poem because of the growing influence of feminism.
Atwood poses a prime example of feminist poetry by using not only argument but also narrative
to display a female point of view and experience on dealing with love and intimacy.
Feminist poetry is derived from poets of the past and has influenced modern day poets
like Daphne Gottlieb who wrote the poetry novel Why Things Burn. In this collection, Gottlieb

Commented [O16]: How do you know this?

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touches on issues such as sexuality, lesbian issues, rape, and urban life. Although the topics of
today have evolved from what was typically discussed in the past, her works still hold true to the
feminist genre. This poetry is very relevant to the 21st century woman and the experiences
females of today go through. This novel is one that reaches females of various age ranges
because the growing relevance and need of feminine voices for young girls as well as adult
women. Why Things Burn could also easily apply to men but more so as a way of education
on what women go through.

This genre not only uses the discourse mode of narrative and argument to accomplish its

Commented [O17]: You havent mentioned argument

before.

purpose of reflecting and reconfiguring the feminist movement's agendas for social and cultural

Commented [O18]: Which is?

transformation (Crown 645). . It also uses modes such as description and information. M aya

Commented [O19]: This should be a part of your

discussion on the first page.

Angelou, a famous feminist poet, wrote one of the most influential poems in the feminist genre
titled Phenomenal Woman. In this poem she celebrates femininity and highlights the traits of a
phenomenal woman. This poem uses the mode of narrative to give her account of the female
experience. Angelou enlists the mode of description as well to describe the female anatomy and
relates it to the power that women hold like in this stanza:.

Commented [O20]: A quote from the poem would be

helpful here.

Its in the reach of my arms/ The span of my hips/ The stride of my step/ The curl of my
lips./ Im a woman/ Phenomenally./ Phenomenal woman/Thats me.
The audience this poet is trying to reach is females but more specifically females who are not
necessarily aware of the power and ability that lies within them. In reaching the audience the
poem has also exemplified what feminist poetry is.
In Daphne Gottliebs poem Kissing with the Lights On she gives a personal narrative
on intimacy with a male over a period time. This poem is a prime example of feminist poetry

Commented [O21]: How so?

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discussing sexuality and the female body. The features of this poem are ultimately shaped by its
purpose to give an account of what it is like to be a woman in this situation. It is not the clich
account that may be found in any poem about the poor girl being fooled by men. It gives a sort
of empowering account that is very characteristic of feminist poetry. The author takes what is
usually seen as the more patriarchal role and gives the female the control of the situation.
Feminist poetry is a genre that not only gives an account on how women think, feel, and,
experience but it also showcases the history of womens role in poetry. It is embodied by its core

Commented [O22]: This claim is not supported in the

body of your paper.

features from style to topic to form to through various discourse modes to get across the ultimate
goal of social awareness and self-realization. Like author Kathleen Crown once stated in her
critical essay Poetry, Feminism, and the Public Sphere:
These critical accounts of the dramatic outpouring of poetry by women since the 1960s
give us new and deeply historical models for understanding this particularly decisive
entry of poetry into the public domain. They also offer an opportunity for estimating
poetry's past and potential contributions to the construction of a "feminist counter public
sphere" as an ideal discursive space, and for assessing how effectively feminist critics
have been able to juggle the intricate public sphere questions of aesthetics and politics,
access and context, audiences and institutions.
Feminist poetryIt is a genre that is ever evolving because the issues women face change. . It has
grown in influence and also in the topics that are being discussed more and more like gender and

Commented [O23]: How so?

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sexuality. When feminist poetry came into prominence its sole purpose was to discuss a
movement but it is more than a movement. It is an embodiment of the growth of women and
society as whole that will continue to evolve as society does.

Commented [O24]: According to who?

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After having a more informed knowledge on this genre I believe that one should look into
the growing influence it is having on culture and how it is seeping into other genres like music,
film, and even politics. I have learned that genre has influenced me more so than I could have
ever imagined. Genre applies to every aspect of our daily lives from the ways in which we write
to the ideas and biases we form about certain issues and topics. In gaining this knowledge I have
a grown an awareness of the process in which I go about my daily life like when I am watching
slam poetry. I now often question how these poets were influenced by genre. It is a mindboggling notion but definitely one to look in to.

I really enjoyed reading your paper. You chose an interesting genre that has a lot to offer.
However, there are some issues that need to be resolved. Please make sure that every claim that
you are making in this paper is supported by evidence and/or citations. All facts, unless they are
commonly known by the general public, must be supported by evidence/citations. Also, be
careful about inserting your own opinion in your paper. This is a formal analysis, so it should
focus solely on facts. Second, when I ask for the features of the genre, I am asking for specific
components of each text that make it a part of the genre, not the general themes portrayed in the
text. Finally, make sure that you are fully answering each question and that your explanations
fully explain your claims.

Bernstein, Charles. Girly M an. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006. Print.
Burt, Stephen. "Phenomenal Woman." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Feb.
2015.
Crown, Kathleen. "Poetry, Feminism, and the Public Sphere." Contemporary Literature (1998):
1-668. University of Wisconsin-M adison English Department. Board of Regents of the
University of Wisconsin System. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Digby, Tom. M en Doing Feminism. New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

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Farrell, Warren, Steven Svoboda, and James P. Sterba. Does Feminism Discriminate against
M en?: A Debate. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.
Feminism." M erriam Webster. Encyclopdia Britannica Company, n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
Gottlieb, Daphne. Why Things Burn: Poems. M ichigan: Soft Skull Press, 2001. Print
"M argaret Atwood." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 M ar. 2015.
M ontefiore, Jan. Feminism and Poetry: Language, Experience, Identity in Women's Writing.
London; Chicago: Pandora; Chicago, III: Distributed in the USA by Independent
Publishers' Group, 2004. Print.
Petronzio, M att. "6 M ale Poets Who Are Not Afraid to Write About Feminism." Guernica/ A
M agazine of Art & Politics. Guernica/ A M agazine of Art & Politics, 9 Sept. 2011. Web.
15 Feb. 2015.
Whitehead, Kim. The Feminist Poetry M ovement. Jackson: University Press of M ississippi,
1996. Print.