Essay Questions

“Orgy” appears to be a stark departure from many of Rukeyser’s other poems. How does this particular poem fit into her collection?

The title of this particular poem is perhaps a bit misleading, which is what contributes to the assumption that this poem departs from the themes and messages of her other poems. However, at its core, this is a poem about vulnerability and basic human connection, more than it is a poem about sex or sexual encounters. In this poem, a trio of individuals—a man and two women—who do not know one another—agree to meet for a sexual threesome. The narrator describes how all three are excited yet nervous for the encounter. No explicit sexual details are provided in this poem. As such, “Orgy” is really a poem about vulnerability that we all exhibit during sexual encounters—particularly sexual encounters with strangers. Rukeyser uses this poem to explore human sexuality; it is a commentary on the vulnerability of all sexual encounters and the beauty of that vulnerability. When viewed in this way, it is clear that “Orgy” is not so dissimilar from Rukeyser’s other poetic works.

The closing lines of Rukeyser’s poem, “Waiting for Icarus” are as follows:

I would have liked to try those wings myself.

It would have been better than this.

What does the narrator mean by this?

The narrator in this poem feels deeply betrayed by her Icarus. She feels great shame and embarrassment, having been so enamored with his empty promises and foolish dreams. As such, this conclusion can be interpreted in multiple ways. One interpretation of this short stanza suggests that the narrator wishes she could have the wings so that she would be able to fly away from her own shame and embarrassment. She believes that if she had the wings, she could escape her Icarus’ betrayal and start anew somewhere else. A second, and perhaps darker interpretation, suggests that the narrator knows that his wings failed and she wishes to succumb to the heat of the sky, as well. In this version, the narrator is so consumed by her lover’s betrayal and her own embarrassment that she would rather die than continue living.

It can be argued that “St. Roach” is an allegory or metaphor in and of itself. What might this poem metaphorically symbolize?

This poem is undoubtedly a metaphor for the intergenerational hate and prejudice that humanity instills in and projects onto others. The narrator explains that she was taught to hate cockroaches from a young age. She was never given any reason or motivation for this hate. And yet, because she was told to do so by her elders, she did. Then, as she got older, she instilled this same blind and unfounded hate in her own children. It is not until the narrator is much older that she begins to question this practice. Upon observing the cockroaches and becoming more familiar with their behavior, she realizes that much of her prejudice was unfounded. She vows to dedicate more time and mental energy to associating with the cockroaches. The cockroaches are, of course, a metaphor for any individuals or group of individuals who have experienced blind judgement, oppression, and prejudice without any cause or reason. The narrator represents those populations of individuals who were taught generational prejudice and hate, but then chose to question and denounce such practices. As such, this entire poem is a metaphor for humanity’s propensity to hate blindly and without reason. Yet, it is also a metaphor for the fact that humanity, when it devotes time to learning about other peoples’ cultures, ideologies, practices, religions, etc., can develop an authentic sense of change in themselves—which can then lead to a more compassionate and understanding world.