Date of Award
4-2020
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Paige Lewis
Abstract
Like every other poet, I’ve always been trying to write the poem living inside of me. The poem of myself. So many iterations of this very poem have come about because of my exploration of the greats and because of my exploration of self. The most predominant themes that come up in my thesis are my Cherokee heritage and culture, my family, and my chosen relationships. Interspersed are poems about hardships I, and others, have faced as women. The constant dilemma of womanhood is certainly exacerbated when “woman” is paired with “non-white.” Through my poems, I’ve tried to explore these themes as authentically and a transparently as possible. This means that occasionally I’ve expressed frustration and anger and fear. Please let this abstract serve as a content warning for mention of sexual assault and an eating disorder. The truth of poetry is that it is the place where we house our traumas, frustrations, and major questions. In this manuscript, I have housed many pieces of myself and I hope that the reader is willing to cry in the crevasses and delight in the peaks with me.
Recommended Citation
Radcliffe, Abigail, "Buried Hair" (2020). Graduate Thesis Collection. 531.
https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/grtheses/531