Vesuvius at Home: The Power of Emily Dickinson

The word “daemon” derives from Greek mythology, where it referred to an intermediary spirit—neither human nor divine, but rather one that occupied a middle status or functioned as a kind of go-between. In the latter sense, a daemon could be an animating voice or spirit inside oneself, which is why Adrienne Rich uses the term synonymously with creative energy; it evokes an image of the artist as divinely inspired. Although initially a morally neutral term, “daemon” would become associated with the evil spirits mentioned in the Bible—i.e., “demons.” Rich plays on this connotation as well to support her contention that patriarchy causes women to experience their own power as “monstrous.”

Feminism is an ideology and political movement premised on the belief that women should enjoy equal rights, power, and opportunities as men. Since its emergence as an organized campaign in the 19th century, feminism has passed through many different phases and diversified into various branches that do not always agree on the nature of women’s subordination or the remedy for it. Rich’s political awakening coincided with second-wave feminism: a mid-20th-cenury movement that looked beyond political equality toward issues like reproductive rights and women’s work inside and outside the home.