Peter. Schlong. Richard. Big Jim. Are any of
             these words more than mildly offensive? My contention is
             that, although they aren't a part of my regular speech,
             they are only mildly unpleasant, if at all. Some forms
             of the word "penis" even evoke a sense of power. A
             man's worth is sometimes said to be measured by the
             girth of his package. In relation to the previously
             started discussion, does the word "vagina" roll off
             one's back as easily? The common answer would be no.
             Forms of the word "vagina" are even thought of as some
             of the most gut-wrenching curse words, especially to a
             man. With her poem, "In Celebration of My Uterus," Ann
             Sexton is sure to raise a few eyebrows and evoke a few
             gasps. Those who succomb to the cultural pressures of
             our paternal culture are not surprisingly outraged. To
             those of us who try to swim against the proverbial
             current, however, the frank manner in which Sexton
             presents a body part that we find so sacred is
             refreshing. When thinking of the uterus, the first
             association one makes is that which includes the
             menstrual cycle. This thought makes most people, men
             and women alike, uneasy. Men are taught to avoid
             menstrual blood, while women have aquired the automatic
             need to complain about it. The second association
             related to the uterus is that which ties it to
             child-bearing, which, although it is known as the
             miracle of life, is easily passed off as a curse in this
             age of condoms, the "morning after," pill and abortion.
             The outrage that this poem ellicits is the same type of
             outrage that accompanied the fight for womens' voting
             rights and equality in the work place. Sexton
             presents the uterus as the foundation of humankind. The
             uterus is "the soil of the field" (line 18) that
             "cover(s and) does contain" (line 17) the "roots" (line
             19) of the "commonwealth" (line 23). Not only does the
             uterus house the roots when con...