The dream of a common language : poems, 1974-1977

Blurb

The Dream of a Common Language is a work of poetry written by award-winning author and activist Adrienne Rich.
The book is divided into three sections: first "Power"; second "Twenty One Love Poems"; third "Not Somewhere Else, But Here".
The collection of poems was the first book Rich published after she came out as a lesbian in 1976. In it, she explores the concept of a common language, to be achieved through poetry, art, and feminist ideas. The book is an integration of the author's personal life and social and political beliefs.
The section, "Power," contains poems about noted accomplishments of individual women, that she relates to all women. The poem, "Power," discusses Marie Curie's discovery of elements, which made her powerful but eventually led to her death. The eight poems in this section comment on the need for the nature of power to be redefined, in order to include women in a way that does not destroy them. The poems show a necessary change in ideologies to achieve the common language.