Not so Sugar-and-Spice: Hard Core Women Poets

With two Master's degrees in Creative Writing under my belt, I might know a thing or two about poetry. I've read the "Poetry Gods"-- Whitman, Thoreau, Eliot, and the like-- of course, and taken one or two Survey courses centered on the work of various Schools of Poetry-- The New York Poets, The Beats, The Moderns, that sort of thing.

In all these courses (and all those required critical essays!), I've always paid attention to the voices of female writers, and I've come to the conclusion that many women poets prefer to create rose-tinted worlds, or ones whose main prerequisite is a box of Kleenex and background violin music.

But not these ladies. The following female poets push boundaries, laugh in the face of the status quo, conquer taboo subject matter, and spit on the boots of convention. If you're the type of reader who enjoys this kind of poetry, then these are definitely poets whose books you'll want to become acquainted with.

Adrienne Rich (b. 1929): Any Women's Studies course is likely to include a sampling from Rich's body of work, as she is considered one of the main forces behind feminist criticism and thought. Among other things, Rich has written about dissatisfied wives and mothers, and a series of lesbian poems about love. Her most famous poem is called "Diving Into the Wreck," arguably one of the most brilliant pieces of feminist literature written in the twentieth century. Her books include Snapshots of a Daughter-In-Law, Necessities of Life, Leaflets, The Will to Change, Diving Into the Wreck, and The Dream of a Common Language.