Results of the Women’s History Month poetry poll:
“The Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks received 11% of the votes, tying with Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy.” Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” got 33%, while Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” received no votes. The big winner is Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death,” garnering a whopping 44% percent.
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Commentary
The results of this poll are not surprising. By far the best poem of the bunch is the Dickinson poem that got the most admiration along with the most votes. The poll question was stated this way: “March is Women's History Month, so this month's poll question involves five poems written by women. Of the following poems written by women, which one do you most admire?”
Personally, my next choice would be Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus,” which is a fine Italian sonnet, skillfully crafted and historically salient for those who value freedom.
Gwendolyn Brooks’ “The Mother” is a poignant poem that speaks to the issue of abortion with its heartbreaking, yet profound truths.
Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” is a fun poem, with a valuable message as well.
Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” exemplifies the worst of the confessional genre, and the poet’s critics have tried to gloss over the inappropriate temper tantrum that this poem dramatizes. On the one hand, in this poem, Plath demonstrates her considerable poetic talent, but on the other, the ranting theme is ultimately as shallow as a teenager’s angst in the middle of a spurt of growing pains.
Articles about These Poets
For more about each of these poets, please check out the following articles:
- Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus”
- Emma Lazarus embraced her heritage as an American Jew, and her poem "The New Colossus" became a symbol for opportunities of freedom.
- Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for death”
- Emily Dickinson, in her poem of cosmic drama, portrays Death as a man carriage driver, for whom she ceases her leisure as well as her work.
- Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman”
- Angelou is a poet, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor, actor, dancer, director, and professor. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in Haley's Roots.
- Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy”
- In Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy," the speaker denigrates the addressee to the point of insisting that he died before she could kill him.
- Gwendolyn Brooks’ Cool Poems
- Chicago poet Gwendolyn Brooks served as U.S. Poet Laureate in 1985-86, while that title was still Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.
