Poetry. "Living in Sin" by Adrienne Rich

Dear Readers,
We studied another poem by Adrienne Rich today in class. I thought it very realistic compared to some of her other poem but here is what I think of it and what I think Ms. Rich is trying to tell us.

In this poem we see Adrienne Rich and her partner living together without being married which is quiet unusal for the 60's. The poem sets itself in an apartment or “studio”, and the opening line, “She had thought the studio would keep itself; no dust uponn the furniture of love” is said as if she had seen it coming, just avoided the obvious. They proberly thought themselves rebellious, 'living in sin' and in love, different from all the rest. She now sees that she was naive and seems angry with herself.


“..a cat stalking the picturespue amusing mouse had risen at his urging.” the still life drawing here shows that maybe this is a constant acurance, but in stead of chasing they chase with words, argue, rising to each others taunts.

“...each separate stair would writhe under the milkman's tramp”, the millkman is a symbol used in the poem for perhaps to symbolise the never ending, the not stopping or giving up. Here it is a negative symbol becuase not very pretty words are used like “writhe” or “tramp”. Another indicator to an arguementive relationship is the line,”scraps of last night's cheese...”, food left over like a row left behind unsettled.

This line is one of the most interesting in the poem becuase it shows her inner conflict of how the relationship is working, “a pair of beetle-eyes would fix her own envoy from some village in the moldings”, it was as if this beetle came a long distance from the back of her head to tell that the relationship isn't working, making obvious what she already knows. The fact that it is a 'bug bugging her about this is a really good use of symbols yet again. Another line later in the poem,”while she, jeered by the minor demons”, this line shows bigger demons than just warning beetles. She knows she isn't happy and her demons are letting her know. I like this line because you can she her realisation growing of the current situation she is in.

In the poem her partner is referred to as “he”, like he is not important. She envies him too about how relaxed he can be “with a yawn....shrugged at the mirror, rubbed his beard, went for cigaretted”, about the whole relationship, also indicating that he has no pride in his apperance before her, like he doesnt have to make an effort for her. I think she feels the relationship is very one sided and I would agree, she notices all the work that needs doing, not only in the house but in the relationship but he doesn't, “he” is too relaxed to see anything or make an effort, “pulled back the sheets and made the bed and found a towel to dust the table-top”.

But then Adrienne turns the whole poem on its head and says,”by evening she was back in love again, though not so wholly...”, whether she means our main lady to be to forgiving, to naive or maybe the fact that dispite his annoying laid back attitude, she still loves him.

The closing line then refers to the milkman, “like a relentless milkman up the stairs”. The milkman will always come, like daylight, and with daylight brings more demons. It is like hate by day and love by night.

I liked learning this poem, though it isn't my favorite of hers. She shows how hard it can be to live with some, in sin, especially when you don't know their true nature or habits or be naive enough not to be able to sort things out, believe things won't change. I like how she uses symbols in all of her poems, this one better because the symbols are very realistic, unlike her other poem “Trying to Talk with a Man”, where symbols are out in the desert testing bombs.

Thank you,
Roisin.P.