The 'mot juste': poet Sharon Olds
Abstract
One writer defined the poetry of Sharon Olds (San Francisco, 1942) as “pure fire in the hands.” This article tries to articulate exactly what that means. Sharon Olds’ work is built on the foundation of her difficult personal history. Through her work, this child of a violent family expresses the anguished silence hidden below a surface of normalcy. The Gold Cell illuminates the three core attributes of her poetry: the return to an unhappy childhood and the power of the family in the poet’s identity, her ethical and political commitment, and a transparent expression of sexuality that enriches her poetry.
