Piecing, patchwork, and quilting: The metaphor of the American patchwork quilt as applied to the poetry of Adrienne Rich

The purpose of this thesis is to show the significant analogies which exist between the nature and process of the American patchwork quilt and the nature and process of the poetry of Adrienne Rich. In order to effectively analyze the relationship between the patchwork quilt and Adrienne Rich's poetry, this thesis presents a brief history of the patchwork quilt and a review of Rich's career as a major American poet in the first chapter. The second chapter analyzes the political aspects of the patchwork quilt and Rich's poetry and shows the relationship between them. The third chapter explores the elements of connection and transformation as revealed through explications of Rich's of themes, images, and patterns in selected poems. Finally, Chapter Four provides an overview of Rich's recent poetry and synthesizes the historical, social, political, and personal elements which characterize Rich's poetry and link it to the metaphor of the American patchwork quilt.