Anyone know of any good feminist poems?

Question

I want to find a poem that deals with gender, I just thought feminist poems might narrow it down. Links would be great if possible.

Answer 1

THE FLAPPER
by Dorothy Parker

The Playful flapper here we see,
The fairest of the fair.
She's not what Grandma used to be, --
You might say, au contraire.
Her girlish ways may make a stir,
Her manners cause a scene,
But there is no more harm in her
Than in a submarine.

She nightly knocks for many a goal
The usual dancing men.
Her speed is great, but her control
Is something else again.
All spotlights focus on her pranks.
All tongues her prowess herald.
For which she well may render thanks
To God and Scott Fitzgerald.

Her golden rule is plain enough -
Just get them young and treat them
rough.

Answer 2

Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Cheryl Clarke, Lucille Clifton, Renee Norman, & June Jordan are all great poets whose work reflected many experiences of very different women.

You can find several anthologies with pieces of their work at your local library but you can also look them up on google or amazon to get an idea of some of thier writings. I added some links to help you find out more about some of them.

I find that Lourde & Giovanni are a bit more gender focused so you may want to look them up first.

Answer 3

Song of One of the Girls

Here in my heart, I am Helen;
I'm Aspasia and Hero, at least.
I'm Judith, and Jael, and Madame de Stael;
I'm Salome, moon of the East.
Here in my soul I am Sappho;
Lady Hamilton am I, as well.
In me R'ecamier vies with Kitty O'Shea,
With Dido, and Eve, and poor Nell.

I'm all of the glamorous ladies
At whose beckoning history shook.
But you are a man, and see only my pan,
So I stay at home with a book.

-Dorothy Parker

Ms. Parker was a proto-feminist poet. Her work predated the feminist movement.

http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/parker

Answer 4

You should read some stuff by Christina Rossetti, and Sylvia Plath, of course.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/crossetti/genderov.html
http://www.stanford.edu/class/engl187/docs/plathpoem.html

Answer 5

Oh what a ***** you are,
you stole everything that I had in my car
you are an outrageous little witch
a back stabbing little *****.

What a disgrace you have become
for once we were friends, now you are lonesome
once you were a man
now a few years later, you are a woman

I use to play football with you
now you wear a dress that is blue
I thought about making love to you
until I realized, what you could do

Why must you be such a *****
a dirty little witch
a former football pro
now just a dirty little ho

Shut up and get on your back
the guys want you in the sack
I can't stomach what became of you
such a disgrace, Sue!

Answer 6

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Most poems rhyme
But this feminist poem don't