Can anyone analyze or understand this poem by adrienne rich?
First, look at the poet: Adrienne Rich is known for poetry about social and political commentarty, feminism, social commentary, etc. A collection of “Love Poems” should certainly be taken in context with lesbian sexuality. To me, the poem is about choice, actions, and how we define love ourselves rather than through destiny, meeting of souls, etc. The poem has some classic existential themes; the opening line: “no one’s fated or doomed to love anyone” says our choices in love are our own. (Existentialism is big on choice — there is no fate.) The poet makes reference to the opera Tristand und Isolde (a story about lovers that do confuse death and love, due to a love potion) and makes a point to say that the opera is NOT the story — that fate, magic, love potions, etc., have nothing to do with it. The existential theme is continued when the poet mentions a tape recorder — a device that can only record sound, what is actually said and done. In a sense, she is saying that actions are wh
