An Obstacle

“An Obstacle,” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was originally published in her first poetry collection In This Our World. This book was published in three different American editions between 1893 and 1898 by the printers McCombs and Vaughn in Oakland; by Small. Maynard and Co. in Boston; and by a small San Francisco publisher. A London publisher, T. Fisher Unwin, also put out an edition in these early years. The book went through several reprints in 1908, 1913, and 1914, attesting to its popularity during Gilman’s lifetime.

“An Obstacle” has eight six-line stanzas, each of which follows a consistent rhyme scheme (ABCBDB). It is a parable in poetry: a short narrative piece that conveys a lesson. Gilman personifies prejudice by treating prejudice as an inhuman spirit without a body in her lesson about how to overcome an obstacle. The poem reflects Gilman’s advocacy for women’s rights, and thematically highlights the many talents of women. Additionally, “An Obstacle” thematically suggests taking inspiration from nature.

Poet Biography

Charlotte Anna Perkins, born in 1860, was raised in Providence, Rhode Island. Her parents, Frederic Beecher Perkins—a librarian and nephew of Harriet Beecher Stowe—and Mary Westcott Perkins, eventually divorced.