Rich uses a number of striking images in her poems. Choose one (or two) to focus on, and read it a number of times, thinking about how you might interpret it. Look up any unfamiliar references and/or allusions.

Rich was strongly influenced by Virginia Woolf. Having just read “A Room of One’s Own,” do you see any connections between their writing?

How would you describe Rich’s poetic style? What formal features, structures, or devices does she use (or not use)?

Do the poems in “Twenty-One Love Poems” correspond to your idea of what “love poems” are? Why or why not?

In these poems, the voice of the speaker often shifts between different people or personas. Identify some of these shifts and speculate on their significance.