Like other poems by Brooks-“the mother” (1945) and “The Crazy Woman” (1960), among them-“the rites for Cousin Vit” showcases the dynamic ups and downs of womanhood.
University Press of Mississippi.) The poem’s main message revolves around shining the spotlight on a singular, independent woman. In Conversations with Gwendolyn Brooks, Brooks says her friend had “that impressibility that seems unconfinable even in death.” (Gayles, Gloria Jean Wade. Gwendolyn Brooks wrote the poem 'the rites for Cousin Vit,” which plays with the sonnet form and is a part of her Pulitzer Prize-winning collection Annie Allen (1949).
