Sharon Olds

The title of the poem “The Possessive” relates to the theme in an ironic sense, because this poem is about a mother realizing that she cannot “possess” her daughter and that her daughter does not...

The poem "On the Subway" by Sharon Olds points to the historical struggles between Black people and white people. Olds uses metaphors and allusion to reflect on the injustices Black people have...

The poem is a reflection of a woman who knows that her mother and father went to great lengths to plan her conception. The poem states that her mother used the cardboard from a shirt of her father to...

The "rite of passage" in Sharon Olds' poem "Rites of Passage" refers to the societal expectations young boys face to prove their masculinity through aggression and dominance. During a birthday party,...

In "The Victims," the speaker expresses bitter feelings towards her father and some resentment towards her mother. The father's suits symbolize his former status and the coldness and abuse he...

The speaker in Sharon Olds' poem is an undefined voice, possibly Olds herself, who is puzzled yet somewhat admiring of those who can engage in "sex without love." The audience is likely people who,...

The allusions in Sharon Olds' "Station" are abstract rather than synecdoche. They include references to a stratified society and mythology, such as the husband likened to a "lord" and an "archer's...