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Magdalene [1]

Creative Nonfiction [2]
11.25.21

In Marie Howe’s 2017 poetry collection, Magdalene, she engages with the perspective of Mary Magdalene through a variety of persona poems—some closely resemble the biblical story while others are more contemporary interpretations of the figure. Through poems such as “Before the Beginning [3],” in which the speaker asks, “Was I ever a virgin?” or in “On Men, Their Bodies,” in which the speaker explores sexual encounters one penis at a time, there is a link between the story of Magdalene and the lives of contemporary women. This week, write an essay about a historical, religious, or mythical figure that you feel a close connection to, whether it is their story or image that inspires you.


Source URL:https://www.pw.org/content/magdalene

Links
[1] https://www.pw.org/content/magdalene [2] https://www.pw.org/genre/creativenonfiction [3] https://www.pw.org/content/marie_howe_magdalene