Perkins is a professor of American literature and film. In this essay, Perkins explores the poem's focus on the hunger for knowledge.

In her review of The Art of Blessing the Day: Poems with a Jewish Theme, Judy Clarence writes that in this collection, "in many ways [her] best yet," Marge Piercy "brings together poems written to celebrate [her] Jewishness, reflecting and expressing the joy, pain, passion, and elegance of this rich culture." Donna Seaman and Jack Helbig, in their review of the collection for Booklist, note that Piercy dedicated these works to the Grrrl movement, "a feisty form of feminist expression found in zines and music and on the Web—because Piercy had been Grrrl long before Grrrl got its name."

One of the finest poems in this collection, "Apple sauce for Eve" reflects Piercy's Jewish heritage as well as her dedication to feminist expression. The...