In order to explore similar themes and stylistic choices to those Rich emphasizes in her poetry , students should read works by Sylvia Plath, Betty Friedan, Bell Hooks, and Mary Oliver. To better understand Rich's poetic influences, consider reading Auden, Yeats, and other modernist and classic poets.
Students would also benefit from exploring the historical events happening during Rich's lifetime that inspired her ideological and artistic evolution, such as the Vietnam War, Second Wave Feminism, and the early days of the LGBTQ rights movement.
