Rich uses many poems in her essay as examples of change in her writing. Some of which include: "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law," and "Planetarium." There are also many examples used in his "Sources" page. All of these poems add up toward the main goal of Rich's, which is pointed toward the aims of education. "The poems also talk about the people who helped her to reimagine her situation as a women and a poet, and about the work that she had to do on her own (Bartholomae, Petrosky, 802)."
             "Re-vision-the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction-is for women more than a chapter in cultural history: it is an act of survival (Bartholomae, Petrosky 629)." In Rich's case, she is looking back and pointing out how it was just a given that the women stayed at home and took care of the kids while the father got and a job and supported the family. In turn, when he came home he expected a fresh meal on the table after a long day of work. Rich states, "We need to know the writing of the past, and know it differently then we have ever known it; not to pass on a tradition but to break its hold over us. (Bartholomae, Petrosky 629)." By saying this, Rich means that we should not totally reverse the roles but even them out. Make it so the men and the women do and equal part and get rid of the stereo type that the women stays home all day and takes care of the kid and cleans the house. In today's society, there are a lot of cases where the couple has just had a baby and the man stays at home with it and the women goes out and works at her beneficial job and supports the family. The roles between men and women haven't totally evened out. Although if you ask any man or women they will tell you things have come a long way since the early days. Rich pointed it out ...