ENTRANDO AL MAR

A Wreck in a Human Life

In the poem "Diving into the Wreck," Adrienne Rich talks about the importance of visiting our tragedies to learn from them and understand how that happen. The poem uses symbols like knife, camera and a book to represent emotions and life catastrophe such a death in the family. Rich emphasizes in the importance of going to the wreck to appreciate what was saved from the destruction.

Reading the story is not the same as living. In the poem Rich write " I come to explore the wreck. The words are proposes. The words are maps." We can heard about a tragedy and even witness one, but when we are the victims, the whole meaning changes from our perspective. The writer does not want to see it with her own eyes and feel like she was there when the tragedy happened. The author mentions a " Book of Myth" which she read before contemplating going to the wreck. The book of myth which can be considered a book of lies, is what most of us get after having experienced a tragedy or hearing about it. Sometimes, we know our truth but not the other person's side of the story or we do not know many details, like when parents and the kids don't know how or why it happens. For that reason, Rich insists on the importance of finding the truth, the detail, the humor, emotion and story that the wreck destroyed. A knife is also mentioned, which symbolizes a weapon, in the poem, the knife is never used, but she is prepared to use " and check the edge of the knife-blade," in order words, to prepare for that strange and unknown world. The poet also mentions what might be considered a device to capture mermaid, the camera, an aid to help her to capture the moment when she encounter the truth so that she will never forget it. (To the preparation to confront reality or a difficult situation) is necessary a good understanding of why we are going and what we are getting from the visit.

At the entrance in an uncharted world, Rich is contemplating a ladder. The ladder is always there hanging innocently close to the side of the schooner. We who have used it, we know what it is for, otherwise is a piece of maritime floss, some sundry equipments." The symbolism of the ladder is really important for the writer. She speaks of how it transport you to another world, different from the one in which you currently are, but only if you can recognize it. If you fail to do so, the ladder is just a piece of metal hanging on the side of the boat.

The writer starts going down the ladder. She writes, " I go down. My flippers cripple me. I craw like an insect sown the ladder and there is no one to tell me when the ores will begin." This experience of the writer going down the ladder is an example of how uncomfortable it could be to start a confrontation with an issue. It is awkward and painful, there is no body to ask for help or to guide you on how to confront it. As Rich descends

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