Adrienne Rich Quotes, born Adrienne Cecile Rich on May 16, 1929, in Baltimore, Maryland, was an American poet, essayist, and feminist, celebrated for her intellectually rigorous and emotionally charged work. A leading voice in the feminist movement, her poetry collections like Diving into the Wreck (1973) and The Dream of a Common Language (1978) explore themes of gender, power, identity, and social justice, earning her the National Book Award in 1974. Rich’s essays, including On Lies, Secrets, and Silence (1979), further cemented her influence as a cultural critic. These 15 quotes—sourced from her poems, essays, interviews, and public statements—reflect her insights on feminism, creativity, love, and resistance, capturing her fierce intellect and poetic vision.
15 Adrienne Rich Quotes
- “There is no ‘the truth,’ ‘a truth’—truth is not one thing, or even a system. It is an increasing complexity.” (Arts of the Possible: Essays and Conversations, 2001)
- “My heart is moved by all I cannot save: so much has been destroyed I have to cast my lot with those who age after age, perversely, with no extraordinary power, reconstitute the world.” (Poem, “Natural Resources,” The Dream of a Common Language, 1978)
- “Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “We must use what we have to invent what we desire.” (Poem, “Cartographies of Silence,” The Dream of a Common Language, 1978)
- “Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “I am an instrument in the shape of a woman trying to translate pulsations into images for the relief of the body and the reconstruction of the mind.” (Poem, “Planetarium,” The Will to Change, 1971)
- “When a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “The moment of change is the only poem.” (Poem, “Images for Godard,” The Will to Change, 1971)
- “No one has imagined us. We want to live like trees, sycamores blazing through the sulfuric air, dappled with scars, still exuberantly budding.” (Poem, “Twenty-One Love Poems,” The Dream of a Common Language, 1978)
- “The repossession by women of our bodies will bring far more essential change to human society than the seizing of the means of production by workers.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “Lying is done with words, and also with silence.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “The worker can unionize, go out on strike; mothers are divided from each other in homes, tied to their children by compassionate bonds; our wildcat strikes have most often taken the form of physical or mental breakdown.” (Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution, 1976)
- “Whatever is unnamed, undepicted in images, whatever is omitted from biography, censored in collections of letters, whatever is misnamed as something else, made difficult-to-come-by, whatever is buried in the memory by the collapse of meaning under an inadequate or lying language—this will become, not merely unspoken, but unspeakable.” (On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, 1979)
- “Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events.” (Arts of the Possible: Essays and Conversations, 2001)
Adrienne Rich’s quotes are a powerful fusion of poetic brilliance, feminist conviction, and unflinching truth-telling, urging readers to question, resist, and reimagine the world. Which one’s got you ready to speak your truth? Drop it in the comments and keep her legacy of courage alive!
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
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