Poem Analysis of "Diving Into the Wreck"
Savannah Frederick
Boehringer
ENG 102
30 October 2014
Diving into the Wreck Called Life
While poems laced with metaphors can be hard to understand, reading into them deeper can create an even more beautiful story to be told. Adrienne Rich had a deeper story to tell through her poem “Diving into the Wreck.” Her story was more than scuba diving; it was a story of life and self-discovery while she remained ominous and mysterious; Rich hid behind her metaphors. Upon first reading “Diving into the Wreck” the auditor would not immediately perceive or assume it is about life experiences or on an even deeper level, Adrienne Rich’s transformation from an unhappy house wife into a new, self-loving woman.
Extended metaphors are described as exploiting a single metaphor throughout an entire work. Adrienne Rich’s extended metaphor begins with the title itself, “Diving into the Wreck.” She is alluding to scuba diving. While she meant for this poem to be interpreted symbolically and not literally, the scuba diving analogy is to be perceived as her plunge into a new life. It symbolized a time in her life in which she found herself. Although Rich was telling the story of her discovery, this poem can be interpreted differently by readers without knowledge of her life story.
Diving into Rich’s poem, readers are engulfed in a sea of metaphors, longing to be connected to the reader’s life situations and to Rich’s self-discovery. The scuba diver in the poem is getting ready to go an adventure to find a wrecked ship at the bottom of the ocean. “First having read the book of myths, / and loaded the camera, / and checked the edge of the knife-blade, / I put on/ the body armor of black rubber/ the absurd flippers/ the grave awkward mask,” (Lines 1-7). The metaphors to be taken in can be interpreted by readers in two ways. The poem can be seen on a personal level, and in which Rich is telling her story. The knowledge found in the book of myths is necessary, as it gives the diver vital
Boehringer
ENG 102
30 October 2014
Diving into the Wreck Called Life
While poems laced with metaphors can be hard to understand, reading into them deeper can create an even more beautiful story to be told. Adrienne Rich had a deeper story to tell through her poem “Diving into the Wreck.” Her story was more than scuba diving; it was a story of life and self-discovery while she remained ominous and mysterious; Rich hid behind her metaphors. Upon first reading “Diving into the Wreck” the auditor would not immediately perceive or assume it is about life experiences or on an even deeper level, Adrienne Rich’s transformation from an unhappy house wife into a new, self-loving woman.
Extended metaphors are described as exploiting a single metaphor throughout an entire work. Adrienne Rich’s extended metaphor begins with the title itself, “Diving into the Wreck.” She is alluding to scuba diving. While she meant for this poem to be interpreted symbolically and not literally, the scuba diving analogy is to be perceived as her plunge into a new life. It symbolized a time in her life in which she found herself. Although Rich was telling the story of her discovery, this poem can be interpreted differently by readers without knowledge of her life story.
Diving into Rich’s poem, readers are engulfed in a sea of metaphors, longing to be connected to the reader’s life situations and to Rich’s self-discovery. The scuba diver in the poem is getting ready to go an adventure to find a wrecked ship at the bottom of the ocean. “First having read the book of myths, / and loaded the camera, / and checked the edge of the knife-blade, / I put on/ the body armor of black rubber/ the absurd flippers/ the grave awkward mask,” (Lines 1-7). The metaphors to be taken in can be interpreted by readers in two ways. The poem can be seen on a personal level, and in which Rich is telling her story. The knowledge found in the book of myths is necessary, as it gives the diver vital
Cited: Rich, Adrienne. “Diving into the Wreck.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. W. W. Norton & Company. 2014.