American Women Poets (Bloom's Modern Critical Views (Hardcover))

American poetry has been shaped and deeply influenced by the wealth of female voices that have contributed to its originality and vivacity through the years. From the colonial era's Phillis Wheatley to the new voices of the 21st century, this volume surveys the ongoing contributions and critical legacy of the United States' diverse women poets. This indispensible collection of critical essays highlights the prominent American women poets who have made an impact on the genre. American Women Poets includes an introduction from literary scholarly Harold Bloom, a chronology, a bibliography, and an index. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 5 Editor’s Note......Page 7 Introduction......Page 9 Gwendolyn Brooks: An Essential Sanity......Page 11 “Never Having Had You, I Cannot Let You Go”: Sharon Olds’s Poems of a Father–Daughter Relationship......Page 32 Rita Dove: Identity Markers......Page 45 New Dreaming: Joy Harjo, Wendy Rose, Leslie Marmon Silko......Page 67 Louise Glück’s Nine Lives......Page 84 And This Poem Recognizes That: Embracing Contrarieties in the Poetry of Nikki Giovanni......Page 97 Maya Angelou on the Inaugural Stage......Page 120 Black Names in White Space: Lucille Clifton’s South......Page 137 Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and the Allure of Incest......Page 150 Drifting in the Weeds of Heaven: Mary Oliver and the Poetics of the Immeasurable......Page 175 Adrienne Rich’s Anti-Confessional Poetics......Page 191 Chronology......Page 218 Contributors......Page 227 Bibliography......Page 229 Acknowledgments......Page 233 Index......Page 235 Gwendolyn Brooks : an essential sanity / Henry Taylor "Never having had you, I cannot let you go" : Sharon Olds's poems of a father-daughter relationship / Brian Dillon Rita Dove : identity markers / Helen Vendler New dreaming : Joy Harjo, Wendy Rose, Leslie Marmon Silko / Jeanne Perreault Louise Glück's nine lives / James Longenbach And this poem recognizes that : embracing contrarieties in the poetry of Nikki Giovanni / Virginia Fowler Maya Angelou on the inaugural stage / Zofia Burr Black names in white space : Lucille Clifton's south / Hilary Holladay Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and the allure of incest / Gale Swiontkowski Drifting in the weeds of heaven : Mary Oliver and the poetics of the immeasurable / Rose Lucas Adrienne Rich's anti-confessional poetics / Jane Hedley. Presents a collection of critical essays on the works of American women poets, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove, Maya Angelou, and more Presents critical essays focusing on the works of such American poets as Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove, Nikki Giovanni, and Maya Angelou