29 pages 58 minutes read

Adrienne Rich

Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1975

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Analysis

Analysis: “Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson”

In “Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson,” Adrienne Rich deconstructs popular portrayals of Emily Dickinson and mainstream interpretations of her poetry, revealing the patriarchal attitudes underlying much of the existing scholarship on Dickinson. Rich relies upon historical contextualization in combination with literary devices such as anecdote, imagery, and allusion to support her alternative interpretation of Dickinson’s poetry and conception of Dickinson’s character. Through the specific case of Dickinson, Rich constructs an argument for feminist re-readings of old texts, particularly those of women writers, suggesting that women can provide insight into the thought processes of other women.

Though Rich critiques some of her contemporaries, this essay is not simply a rebuttal of their misguided interpretations. Rich’s conversational tone and language indicate that she intended this essay to reach a broader public beyond the halls of academia where the essay’s concept originated. It is clear, however, that she originally wrote this essay for the audience of a university lecture, as Rich poses questions repeatedly throughout the essay, refusing to give away all of her answers but rather allowing the reader to make connections alongside her.

Related Titles

By Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

An Atlas of the Difficult World

Adrienne Rich

An Atlas of the Difficult World

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Adrienne Rich

Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

Adrienne Rich

A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Diving into the Wreck

Adrienne Rich

Diving into the Wreck

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Living in Sin

Adrienne Rich

Living in Sin

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Necessities of Life

Adrienne Rich

Necessities of Life

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Planetarium

Adrienne Rich

Planetarium

Adrienne Rich

Study Guide

logo

Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law

Adrienne Rich

Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law

Adrienne Rich

Plot Summary

logo

Tonight No Poetry Will Serve

Adrienne Rich

Tonight No Poetry Will Serve

Adrienne Rich