Rising Venus: Poems

by Kelly Cherry

With Rising Venus Kelly Cherry reveals the fearsome beauty, vulnerability, and complexity of women’s experience. Cherry masterfully re-creates the full spectrum of the female psyche, from looming madness to harrowing self-knowledge made bearable, even exhilarating, through the poet’s remarkable range and skill.

The book’s journey is an ascension from mysterious and overwhelming depths of despair and anguish to a place of peace and perspective. Beginning with “Adult Ed. 101: Basic Home Repair for Single Women,” Cherry asserts, “Ladies, you are about to find out / just how much really rough / weather / your house can take.” Probing the emotional extremes of woman’s life as daughter, mother, wife, lover, and working woman, poems like “Lady Macbeth on the Psych Ward” open a frightening chasm beneath the reader, yet steady and reassure with the bravura of poetic compression. That fearless art inhabits the role of “An Other Woman” and then explores the status of woman as aesthetic object, whether of the male gaze, cultural perception, or her own “she sees the long-haired girl she used to be, / in boots and mini-dress, apart and watchful / as in a redoubt, in a room in a painting in / a room, or as if in a poem turned inside out” (“The Model Looks at Her A Retrospective”).

A passionate turbulence gives way to acute and delicate observations on art and myth and strikingly original insights into tradition and context. Thus, in “Sunrise,” “A sky as blue as if it were / The backdrop for a Renaissance / View of the Ascension” becomes a representation of that miracle, itself figured by the miracle of dawn, “a morning / Risen from the night.” The title poem revises the classic view of Venus to speak of another miraculous ascension, a woman’s hard- earned rise into her own sense of “Myth is the portal / through which we pass, / becoming human at last, / rising out of dream / and desire to realms / of reality, where love, / a woman, by Jove, / survives, strong and free, / engendering her own destiny.”

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[ronushka · Rating 5 out of 5]

"rising venus" as an individual poem can be taken as a modern reimagining of the birth of venus (aphrodite), the roman goddess of love and beauty, who, according to mythology, emerged fully formed from the sea. the poem rejects traditional depictions of venus as a young, delicate beauty, instead presenting her as a strong, self-determined figure who endures and overcomes the harsh realities of her origin.
the poem opens by challenging the conventional portrayal of venus. kelly sherry asserts that she was not born young but rather old enough to handle the "rough waves of the sea" with confidence and resilience. the imagery of "semen and seaweed" clinging to her hair introduces a sense of raw, primordial birth, emphasizing her connection to nature and the elements. venus then proceeds to describes the physical heaviness she had to endure and her struggle against the forces of nature. despite her initial doubts ("i said, i can't do this"), she succeeds and makes it appear effortless ("natural to float au naturel"). the play on words with "au naturel" highlights her nakedness and natural state, tying back to classical depictions of venus. then, the poem delves into the metaphorical significance of venus' emergence. the "translucent pink" of the shell, described as a "flat-out freudian wink," alludes to sexual symbolism and the origins of life. the speaker dispels the myth that her arrival on land was gentle and idyllic, instead revealing the struggle and effort involved ("i yanked leeches from my legs"). upon reaching shore, venus experiences the gritty realities of life. she scavenges for food and learns essential survival skills, including the concepts of "want" and "fear." this represents the transition from myth to reality, highlighting the harshness and necessity of adaptation. moreover, venus reflects on the human condition, emphasizing the importance of self-forgiveness for being mortal. this line suggests that accepting one's flaws and limitations is crucial for survival and personal growth. lastly, the poem concludes with the idea that myth serves as a gateway ("portal") through which divine beings become human. venus rises from the realms of "dream and desire" to face reality, symbolizing the journey from idealized myth to tangible existence. the final lines celebrate venus' strength, freedom, and autonomy as she "engenders her own destiny."
sherry has succeeded to explore numerous themes through her contemporary ode to venus. strength and resilience being one of them where venus is depicted as a powerful figure who overcomes significant challenges, contrasting with traditional portrayals of her as a passive, delicate beauty.
reality vs. myth, the poem explores the intersection of mythological and human experiences, emphasizing the gritty, often unglamorous aspects of life. additionally, self-determination in venus' journey symbolizes personal empowerment and the creation of one's own path, free from predetermined roles or expectations.
the poem's tone is assertive and confident, with a modern, conversational style that demystifies venus' mythological origins. the use of enjambment and varied line lengths creates a dynamic, flowing rhythm, mirroring the movement of the sea and the goddess' emergence from it. the language is vivid and sensory, grounding the divine figure in tangible, human experiences.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice poems to be dramatically read aloud at a family picnic.

[Ellen Roberts Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A skillful writer worthy of careful study. And often fun.

[Hannah Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty poems😍, i want to cut them up and put them on my wall so i can read the ones i like whenever i want