Year of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Degree Name
Creative Writing
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Poetry
Department or School/College
English
Committee Chair
Sean Hill
Commitee Members
Brian Blanchfield, Clint Walker
Keywords
sestina, duplex, paradelle, sonnet
Subject Categories
Poetry
Abstract
Then Another Door is a collection of poems in which the poet strives for transcendent perception and expression. In these poems, the outer world touches on the inner world of the self, despite the supposed boundary between the two. These poems also negate this boundary in the opposite direction — the inner world touches on the outer. Emotions escape the self in the form of actions. As perception and expression expand the self, they become crucial to its construction. The speaker of these poems relies heavily on these means of self-making. Simultaneously, she doubts their reliability. Perception is often deceptive. Expresion is often inadequate, or excessive. Both are often off the mark. As perception and expression elude their aims, the speaker is steadfast in pursuit. The speaker walks in the footsteps of her errant self-making, which ever remains just beyond the receding horizon. In these poems, failure is the generative principle.
Recommended Citation
Ouellette, Rachel Lorraine, "Then Another Door" (2026). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12636.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12636
© Copyright 2026 Rachel Lorraine Ouellette