Item Detail
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21919
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0
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0
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English
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"Choose the Wide Angle View" : Reading May Swenson's Adaptations of Motherhood and Sexuality
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Logan, UT
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Utah State University
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78
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Ph.D. diss.
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"In this thesis I have closely examined May Swenson's poetry about family life and sexuality to demonstrate the inclusiveness of her poetry. In the work, I have argued that through her poetics of fusion - that is, by broaching and fusing seeming opposites - she achieves a hopeful tone, inviting the reader to discard simplifying labels and traditional titles in order to pursue an authentic and inclusive identity. Throughout the thesis I argue that Swenson consistently chose to draw from multiple identities (including her Mormon background) as she wrote, rather than excluding any aspect of herself. There is a thread of personal writing throughout the thesis, as I have applied Swenson's work to my own experience. I have argued that including my experience supports a reading of Swenson's poetry as an invitation to the reader to "choose the wide angle view" and see gender and sexuality as a complicated blend of non-opposites." [Author's abstract]