The Young Housewife

“Lament” by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1921)

A feminist poet whose work and literary contributions overlapped with those of William Carlos Williams, Edna St. Vincent Millay frequently incorporated feminist themes into her poetry. In “Lament,” Millay highlights the plight of a suddenly widowed woman who must not only find time to grieve for her deceased husband but also find a way to care for her two children in a society that limits female independence. Unlike “The Young Housewife,” which is conveyed from an outside speaker, “Lament” is a monologue given by a widow delivering the news of her husband’s death to her young children.

“A Blockhead” by Amy Lowell (1913)

An American poet of the Imagist school, Amy Lowell argued against feminism even though posthumously her work became associated with it and was rejuvenated during the 1970s feminist movement. Like “The Young Housewife,” “A Blockhead” experiments with enjambment and Imagism. Unlike “The Young Housewife,” which Williams composed in free verse, “A Blockhead” incorporates rhyming structures. In 1918, Williams wrote a note of praise to Lowell about her poem “Appuldurcombe Park,” and he considered her a fellow Imagist poet.

“The Study in Aesthetics” by Ezra Pound (1914)