Power (Adrienne Rich poem)

Power (Adrienne Rich poem) Glossary

deposit

in this context, a layer or mass of accumulated matter.

backhoe

a mechanical excavator that draws towards itself a bucket attached to a hinged boom.

divulged

made known (private or sensitive information).

amber

a honey-yellow color typical of amber, which is fossilized tree resin.

melancholy

a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

tonic

a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigour or well-being.

radiation sickness

illness caused by exposure of the body to ionizing radiation, characterized by nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, bleeding, and damage to the bone marrow and central nervous system

bombarded

attacked continuously

element

In this sense, one of the more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter.

cataracts

a medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision.

suppurating

undergo the formation of pus; festering.

flank

the side of a person's or animal's body between the ribs and the hip.