Gretel in Darkness

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, “Hansel and Gretel”

The Grimm brothers, or The Brothers Grimm, were famous for their stories that involved children, fantasy, and magical realism. Perhaps their best-known story, “Hansel and Gretel” was a cautionary tale about children who wander too far from the prescribed path in the forest and encounter a demonic witch who intends to eat them by luring them into her house. Originally published in the mid-1800s, the story has undergone thousands of translations and remixes to fit various cultural, geographic, and time period changes in order to be retold to new audiences.

Louise Glück, “Mock Orange”

One of Glück’s most revered poems, this work provides additional insight into the technical precision and sense of restraint that Glück evinces in her poetry. It also demonstrates Glück’s rare ability to enter so seamlessly into neuroses; specifically, into the psychology of a woman who is dealing with skepticism and doubt in her reality. Much like Gretel, the speaker in this poem is questioning what is real and what is worth living for, and despite a tender backdrop of a lovely garden, the speaker refuses to acquiescence into any comfort or happiness.