Discussion Topic
An analysis of the form and content of the poem "Living in Sin" by Adrienne Rich
Summary:
"Living in Sin" by Adrienne Rich is a free verse poem that explores the disillusionment of a woman in an unfulfilling relationship. The form, with its lack of rhyme and irregular line lengths, reflects the chaotic and disordered nature of her emotions. The content contrasts the woman's romantic expectations with the harsh reality of daily life, emphasizing themes of disappointment and unmet ideals.
How does the form of the poem "Living in Sin" relate to its content?
"Living in Sin" is written in a free-form style, following no set pattern of rhythm or rhyme. The content of the poem, however, clearly divides the unbroken flow of the poem's commentary into three separate parts.
The first part, the first seven lines of the poem, describe the romantic illusions which were held by the female through whose eyes the story's unfolding is seen at the beginning of the story. The images are soft, the verbs are pleasant, the picture presented is comfortable and comforting.
She thought...no dust upon the furniture of love...a piano with a Persian shawl...the picturesque amusing mouse
The second part of the poem, lines eight through fourteen, describe the distasteful reality with which she is faced. The images are harsh, verbs are strong expressions, others mentioned in the poem are not welcomed into her company.
each separate stair would write...delineate the scraps of last...
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night's cheese...a pair of beetle-eyes
In the third section, the man's reaction to the situation is given. He is unsympathetic to her disillusionment and frustration and copes with the surroundings by leaving them, leaving the woman to deal with the dismal surroundings and the necessary tasks.
with a yawn...declared it out of tune...shrugged...rubbed at his beard, went out for cigarettes...she...pulled back the sheets...found a towel to dust...let the coffee-pot boil over
In the last four lines, the reader learns that the woman still loves the man when he returns "by evening", but isn't completely able to shut out and forget the inevitable return of the "relentless" conditions that will come back with the new day.
The language of the poem gives it a continuous form; the meaning of the language used emphasizes the content of the different perspectives on the situation.
What is the poem "Living in Sin" by Adrienne Rich about?
Adrienne Rich uses a female speaker to show the loss of Romanticism in a premarital cohabitation that the speaker thought would sustain itself, but now she is having to clean up some of the mess and put away some minor demons.
The apartment is a metonym for the couple's relationship. The speaker thought it would keep itself, but now--over time--she has come resigned to the fact that it is work, that much of the idealism about the new apartment (relationship) has worn off. She's not condemning marriage or men, but she's having to become the domesticated woman that she had not envisioned she'd be. The minor demons (her mother, or society) are bothering her in that she can hear them say, "I told you so." She feels social expectations weighing on her and the pangs of guilt ("Living in Sin") are felt the morning after. Indeed, relationships--married or not--are messy, and hard work, especially in the morning.
The poem reminds me of the scene in Act III of Romeo and Juliet, after the newly married couple has spent their first night together. The scene takes place in the morning, like this one. Juliet wants Romeo to leave before he is discovered; she is the Realist who worries for his safety. Romeo, the Romantic, would rather be caught and killed than leave his love. The honeymoon was over; it was the last time they would see each other alive.
This poem is obviously less tragic, but the dualities are the same, except the female speaker was once a Romantic (or she still is, but only at night), and now she is a Realist (in the morning). The couples' nights are filled with passion, as evidenced by the cheese and three empty wine bottles. But, by morning, the romance has worn off: the piano is out of tune; she's got to dust the table with a towel; he can't wait to leave. The milkman's early morning wakeup call is a reality check.