Original Poem：
ONE
From Sappho to myself, consider the fate of women.
How unwomanly to discuss it! Like a noose or an albatross necktie
The clinical sobriquet hangs us: codpiece coveters.
Never mind these epithets; I myself have collected some honeys.
Juvenal set us apart in denouncing our vices
Which had grown, in part, from having been set apart:
Women abused their spouses, cuckolded them, even plotted
To poison them. Sensing, behind the violence of his manner—
“Think I'm crazy or drunk?”—his emotional stake in us,
As we forgive Strindberg and Nietzsche, we forgive all those
Who cannot forget us. We
are
hyenas. Yes, we admit it.
While men have politely debated free will, we have howled for it,
Howl still, pacing the centuries, tragedy heroines.
Some who sat quietly in the corner with their embroidery
Were Defarges, stabbing the wool with the names of their ancient
Oppressors, who ruled by the divine right of the male—
I’m impatient of interruptions! I’m aware there were millions
Of mutes for every Saint Joan or sainted Jane Austen,
Who, vague-eyed and acquiescent, worshiped God as a man.
I’m not concerned with those cabbageheads, not truly feminine
But neutered by labor. I mean real women, like
you
and like
me.
Freed in fact, not in custom, lifted from furrow and scullery,
Not obliged, now, to be the pot for the annual chicken,
Have we begun to arrive in time?
With our well-known
Respect for life because it hurts so much to come out with it;
Disdainful of “sovereignty,” “national honor;” and other abstractions;
We can say, like the ancient Chinese to successive waves of invaders,
“Relax, and let us absorb
you.
You can learn temperance
In a more temperate climate.” Give us just a few decades
Of grace, to encourage the fine art of acquiescence
And we might save the race. Meanwhile, observe our creative chaos,
Flux, efflorescence—whatever you care to call it!
TWO
I take as my theme “The Independent Woman,”
Independent but maimed: observe the exigent neckties
Choking violet writers; the sad slacks of stipple-faced matrons;
Indigo intellectuals, crop-haired and callus-toed,
Cute spectacles, chewed cuticles, aced out by full-time beauties
In the race for a male. Retreating to drabness, bad manners,
And sleeping with manuscripts. Forgive our transgressions
Of old gallantries as we hitch in chairs, light our own cigarettes,
Not expecting your care, having forfeited it by trying to get even.
But we need dependency, cosseting, and well-treatment.
So do men sometimes. Why don’t they admit it?
We will be cows for a while, because babies howl for us,
Be kittens or bitches, who want to eat grass now and then
For the sake of our health. But the role of pastoral heroine
Is not permanent, Jack. We want to get back to the meeting.
Knitting booties and brows, tartars or termagants, ancient
Fertility symbols, chained to our cycle, released
Only in part by devices of hygiene and personal daintiness,
Strapped into our girdles, held down, yet uplifted by man’s
Ingenious constructions, holding coiffures in a breeze,
Hobbled and swathed in whimsy, tripping on feminine
Shoes with fool heels, losing our lipsticks, you, me,
In ephemeral stockings, clutching our handbags and packages.
Our masks, always in peril of smearing or cracking,
In need of continuous check in the mirror or silverware,
Keep us in thrall to ourselves, concerned with our surfaces.
Look at man’s uniform drabness, his impersonal envelope!
Over chicken wrists or meek shoulders, a formal, hard-fibered assurance.
The drape of the male is designed to achieve self-forgetfulness.
So, Sister, forget yourself a few times and see where it gets you:
Up the creek, alone with your talent, sans everything else.
You can wait for the menopause, and catch up on your reading.
So primp, preen, prink, pluck, and prize your flesh,
All posturings! All ravishment! All sensibility!
Meanwhile, have you used your mind today?
What pomegranate raised you from the dead,
Springing, full-grown, from your own head, Athena?
THREE
I will speak about women of letters, for I’m in the racket.
Our biggest successes to date? Old maids to a woman.
And our saddest conspicuous failures? The married spinsters
On loan to the husbands they treated like surrogate fathers.
Think of that crew of self-pitiers, not-very-distant,
Who carried the torch for themselves and got first-degree burns.
Or the sad sonneteers, toast-and-teasdales we loved at thirteen;
Middle-aged virgins seducing the puerile anthologists
Through lust-of-the-mind; barbiturate-drenched Camilles
With continuous periods, murmuring softly on sofas
When poetry wasn’t a craft but a sickly effluvium,
The air thick with incense, musk, and emotional blackmail.
I suppose they reacted from an earlier womanly modesty
When too many girls were scabs to their stricken sisterhood,
Impugning our sex to stay in good with the men,
Commencing their insecure bluster. How they must have swaggered
When women themselves endorsed their own inferiority!
Vestals, vassals, and vessels, rolled into several,
They took notes in rolling syllabics, in careful journals,
Aiming to please a posterity that despises them.
But we’ll always have traitors who swear that a woman surrenders
Her Supreme Function, by equating Art with aggression
And failure with Femininity. Still, it’s just as unfair
To equate Art with Femininity, like a prettily packaged commodity
When we are the custodians of the world’s best-kept secret:
Merely the private lives of one-half of humanity.
But even with masculine dominance, we mares and mistresses
Produced some sleek saboteuses, making their cracks
Which the porridge-brained males of the day were too thick to perceive,
Mistaking young hornets for perfectly harmless bumblebees.
Being thought innocuous rouses some women to frenzy;
They try to be ugly by aping the ways of men
And succeed. Swearing, sucking cigars and scorching the bedspread,
Slopping straight shots, eyes blotted, vanity-blown
In the expectation of glory:
she writes like a man!
This drives other women mad in a mist of chiffon.
(One poetess draped her gauze over red flannels, a practical feminist.)
But we’re emerging from all that, more or less,
Except for some ladylike laggards and Quarterly priestesses
Who flog men for fun, and kick women to maim competition.
Now, if we struggle abnormally, we may almost seem normal;
If we submerge our self-pity in disciplined industry;
If we stand up and be hated, and swear not to sleep with editors;
If we regard ourselves formally, respecting our true limitations
Without making an unseemly show of trying to unfreeze our assets;
Keeping our heads and our pride while remaining unmarried;
And if wedded, kill guilt in its tracks when we stack up the dishes
And defect to the typewriter. And if mothers, believe in the luck of our children,
Whom we forbid to devour us, whom we shall not devour,
And the luck of our husbands and lovers, who keep free women.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem
This powerful poem explores the complex and evolving fate of women across history, culture, and society. It is structured in three parts, each addressing different aspects of womanhood: from historical oppression and societal stereotypes, to the struggles of independence, and finally the challenges faced by women in literature and creative fields.
Part One: Historical and Social Fate of Women
The poem opens by referencing Sappho, an ancient Greek poetess symbolizing female voice and creativity, then moves to the speaker’s personal reflection. It highlights how women have been labeled with derogatory terms ("codpiece coveters") and unfairly judged. The poet acknowledges the historical vices attributed to women, often as a result of their marginalization. The tone is both defiant and reflective, admitting to the harsh labels ("hyenas") but also reclaiming agency by howling for free will through centuries of oppression. Women are portrayed as both victims and resistors, trapped by societal roles yet creatively chaotic and resilient.
Part Two: The Independent Woman
This section focuses on the modern independent woman, who is "independent but maimed" by societal expectations and constraints. It describes the tension between adopting masculine traits to compete ("swearing, sucking cigars") and the traditional feminine roles that still bind women ("knitting booties," "strapped into girdles"). The poem critiques superficial appearances and societal pressures to maintain a "mask" of femininity, while urging women to use their intellect and talents ("have you used your mind today?"). The reference to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, symbolizes the birth of female intellect and power.
Part Three: Women of Letters and Creative Struggles
The final part discusses women writers and artists, highlighting their historical marginalization and internal conflicts. It points out the stereotype of the "old maid" and the "married spinster," women caught between societal roles and personal ambition. The poem critiques how some women have internalized inferiority and how art has been unfairly gendered. Despite masculine dominance, women have produced powerful, subversive works that men often failed to recognize. The poem ends on a hopeful note, encouraging women to embrace their true selves, work hard, and support each other in creative and personal freedom.
Background and Author Introduction
This poem is a reflection of feminist thought, likely inspired by the second-wave feminist movement that emphasized women's liberation, equality, and the reevaluation of women's roles in history and culture. The poet employs rich literary allusions—from Sappho and Juvenal to Saint Joan and Jane Austen—to frame the ongoing struggle for female identity and recognition.
The author, through a candid and sometimes ironic tone, challenges traditional gender norms and calls for a deeper understanding of women's experiences beyond stereotypes. The poem’s style combines historical critique, personal reflection, and cultural commentary, making it a significant piece for feminist literature.
Reflections and Insights
Reading this poem offers profound insights into the complexities of womanhood—the tension between societal expectations and personal freedom, the historical silencing of female voices, and the ongoing fight for recognition and equality. It encourages readers to question stereotypes and appreciate the creative chaos and resilience inherent in women's lives.
The poem also prompts reflection on how women today can continue to break free from limiting roles and embrace their full intellectual and creative potential.
Educational Value and Learning Points for Students
Students and young readers can learn several important lessons from this poem:
- Historical Awareness: Understanding how women's roles and freedoms have evolved over time.
- Critical Thinking: Analyzing societal stereotypes and questioning gender norms.
- Literary Appreciation: Recognizing literary devices such as allusion, metaphor, and irony.
- Empathy and Identity: Exploring themes of self-acceptance, resilience, and the struggle for equality.
- Feminist Literature: Gaining insight into feminist perspectives and the importance of female voices in literature and history.
Practical Applications in Life and Learning
- In Classroom Discussions: The poem can be used to spark conversations about gender roles, history, and social justice.
- Creative Writing: Students can be inspired to write their own reflections on identity and society.
- Personal Growth: Encourages young women to value their intellect and creativity, and to challenge limiting stereotypes.
- Cultural Studies: Helps students understand the intersection of literature, history, and feminism.
Reading Comprehension Exercises
- What historical figures does the poem reference to illustrate women's struggle?
- How does the poem describe the "Independent Woman"?
- What does the poet mean by women "howling for free will"?
- Why are women writers described as "old maids" or "married spinsters"?
- What is the significance of the reference to Athena in the poem?
- How does the poem challenge traditional gender roles?
- What message does the poem convey about women's creativity and resilience?
Answer Key
- The poem references Sappho, Juvenal, Strindberg, Nietzsche, Saint Joan, Jane Austen, and others to illustrate women's historical struggles and societal judgments.
- The "Independent Woman" is described as strong yet constrained, sometimes adopting masculine traits to compete, but still bound by traditional feminine roles and societal expectations.
- "Howling for free will" symbolizes women's persistent fight for autonomy and freedom throughout history despite oppression.
- Women writers are called "old maids" or "married spinsters" to highlight their societal marginalization and the conflict between personal ambition and traditional roles.
- Athena represents wisdom and the birth of female intellect, encouraging women to use their minds and talents fully.
- The poem challenges gender roles by critiquing stereotypes, exposing the masks women wear, and urging intellectual and creative freedom.
- The poem celebrates women's creativity and resilience, showing how they have resisted oppression and contributed significantly to culture despite obstacles.
This poem is a rich resource for understanding the historical and cultural dimensions of womanhood, encouraging both critical thought and personal empowerment.
