these instances really reinforce Rich's sense of being that i believe metamorphosis throughout the poem. After learning that she is a staunch feminist, these identity issues are given much greater significance.
the imagery in this poem is very realist. no embellishment is found here.
"threadbare beauty"
even when addressing mermaids and mermen, her approach remains very realist.
some other interesting imagery that she uses is found in her utilities for the "dive". her book of myths, her knife, her camera, and even her flippers carry symbolic imagery. in my interpretation of her poem, the overarching imagery of the sea as being society, a huge, churning vastness, and the wreck as her life at the hands of this brutal society is evident. The dive is her endeavour to salvage herself before its too late. the camera is great imagery representing her past memories and her effort to document the "rebuild "about to occur. the knife shows that she isn't playing. she is ready to do work and cut away all those undesirable things in her old self. the book of myths stands for beliefs that she had always held on to as something that helped to define her. she has brought this with her so that she can change it as well. and she does for at the end of the poem. the book has transformed in its use to her, the old one in which "our names shall never appear". she has found her identity in something else now. the flippers are great imagery, in their bulky akwardness, for the things in herself that she must overcome as she dives into the blackness.
overall this poem and its powerful imagery paint a picture of someone embarking upon an endeavor, the outcome of which is unknown. this bravery combined with some sense of desperate urgency, is what makes the poem stand out in my mind as an extraordinary piece of writing which i thoroughly enjoyed reading.
