Dominance and Erasure

The poem works as an extended metaphor that can be applied to many different social justice movements that were occurring during the time Rich was writing her collection Diving into the Wreck. Based on the collection’s other themes, the reading of this poem can be enhanced when looking through a queer and feminist lens that relates directly to Rich’s personal and political experiences.

The poem’s metaphor focuses on diving deep enough to reach “the wreck.” Without providing a clear definition of what the wreck represents, Rich makes it clear that “the wreck” is an artifact of the past affected greatly by violence that continues to influence the present. Using the imagery of a shipwreck, as opposed to a cave or a reef, implies that there was a tragedy or trauma that brought the ship to be at the bottom of the...