A volume of top-selected works representing definitive modes of thought during the women's movement of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s is a collection that includes pieces by such writers as Adrienne Rich, Muriel Rukeyeser, and Judy Grahn.
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Edited by Honor Moore, Poems from the Women's Movement is an anthology of work that spans three decades. The poems within tackle the injustices that women felt during their move for equality. Various poems cover themes of acceptance, sexuality, womanhood, marriage, legal and reproductive rights, and even take certain political stances.
These poems are a powerful testament to the cacophony of voices that pushed for change. Sylvia Plath, Marge Piercy, Alta, and Audre Lorde are just a few of the poets found within these pages. Readers will be transported back to the time when women were discriminated against for rejecting the societal expectations while bearing witness to the fear of rape, beatings, and being forced into marriage.
Peircy's "Rape Poem" is one of the darkest in the novel and strikes a chord with readers today when she writes "There is no difference between being raped / and being bit on the ankle by a rattlesnake / except that people ask if your skirt was short / and why you were out alone anyhow" (lines 7-10, p.59). As this still occurs today, this poem is relevant to contemporary readers.
Many other poems are just as relevant to today's society with women's issues still being fought for. Readers may feel understood, inspired, or fearful as they traverse the decades of the women's movement through this collection. It provides a unique perspective of this time period and gives a good sense of what the movement was striving for.
Rating: 3.5/5 Cups
I am interested in the movement, but only select eras. I find the latter years counterproductive to the rights of women, actually, so this is probably not for me. Thanks for your review.
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