Part 1 of Essay
In the poem “,” Annette Von Droste-Hülshoff uses imagery and references to God to express the coming of the end of the year. The poem, however, seems to reflect the impending freedom of women from a patriarchal society. This poem’s imagery and outside references suggest that it is in fact a plea for the ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... the reader to consider that she is using the time period of the year as the time of women’s oppression. She feels that the time of the oppression is coming to an end. “I wait in stern silence, O deep night! Is there an open eye?” (Droste-Hulshoff 5-7) is one example of how she considers the era of women’s oppression at its end. Another example is the following quote: “ My life breaks down somewhere in the circle of this year. Long have I known decay. Yet my heart in love glows ....