Power

Glück employs strategies of feminist revisionist myth-making in the poem “Circe’s Power.” In doing so, the poet subverts male-dominated mythic standards by giving voice to Circe as a powerful, logical, and benevolent female speaker. Appropriating a myth during the contemporary age in order to write from a certain character’s point of view not only allows readers to revisit the old story from a different perspective, but also to consider the ways in which those stories have impacted today’s culture.

Though the character of Circe is not portrayed as weak in the original Greek narratives, Glück interprets and redefines the qualities that give Circe her power. In the original, Circe is feared and reviled for her sexual freedom, independence, and magical abilities. She exemplifies the archetype of the femme fatale: a dangerous woman who seduces men and lures them to ruin. This...