The World Through Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was once quoted saying simply, but poetically, that “women are powerful and dangerous.” In a time period where it was considered wrong by most to be black, and to be a woman, she checked those boxes. She lit sparks through her elegant wordplay in poems that talk about taboo topics like sexism, racism and homophobia. Through poems such as “Movement Song”, “Who Said it was Simple”, “Coal” and “Never to Dream of Spiders”, Lorde goes into abstract detail on topics such as feminism, love and racism from her perspective, and the ways she plays into the narratives while pushing the envelope. Her work is a grand collection of self consciousness and reflection.
Putting thoughts into the world, while still focusing on self-reflection, can sometimes be a daunting task, but this seems to be easy for Lorde, as she has always handled these tough topics with heavy hitting word play and symbolism. As she talks about the difference in being passive versus proactive, she compares herself to “a fellow rider in the cattle cars watching // you move slowly out of my bed // saying we cannot waste time only ourselves” in the poem “Movement Song”. These lines are vital to the message as they represent the feeling many have experienced, but struggled to describe. While the poem is generally about her personal heartbreak, this poem has a much broader and impactful meaning, such as being a passenger in the cars that watch change happen in the world, but not riding in the car that makes change. Poems like this one relate well for readers who have ever found themselves in a similar position.
Self awareness creates understanding that sometimes someone’s efforts may not be enough. In the powerful poem, “Who Said it was Simple”, Lorde dives into women’s rights and her place in the movement. She feels that she is helping move the fight forward, but understands that the movement is not including her because she is a black woman, and feels she is not included in the fight for equality. She ends the work with a deep reflection, relatable to many women of color’s experience in this time, saying she “sits [t]here wondering // which me will survive // all these liberations”. Her reflection of the movement opens the conversation that it is not for everyone and she needs to push the narrative further to be included. It is easy for someone to blind themselves with the notion that they are doing the right thing, but Lorde who is “bound by [her] mirror”, sees the reflection of a woman who is not getting the support she deserves.
Through the poem “Coal”, Audre Lorde takes a stance on the power of being Black. She reflects on taking this skin color as a positive, and not a negative like most of the culture did at the time period. She uses fiery language to describe her life as a black woman, and mother in lines like “Seeking like gypsies over my tongue // To explode through my lips// Like young sparrows bursting from shell // Some words //Bedevil me”. The imagery of words bursting out of her mouth like a baby bird finally breaking free is so vivid, while juxtaposing that with the words that bedevil her while she struggles to explain them is such a great comparison. This poem ends on a very powerful note about her power as a black woman, and the message is very clear. “I am Black because I come from the inside of the Earth // Now take my word for jewel in the open light”. This powerful message will resonate with readers everywhere that have ever felt their words were not worth much because of the melanin in their skin; Audre Lorde establishes the power in being black in America.
“Never to Dream about Spiders” is an abstract title. Many readers may have that same thought flying through their brain during the first couple stanzas of this poem, and may miss the importance of the first few lines, “Time collapses between the lips of strangers // my days collapse into a hollow tube”. This later work appears as a reflection as she is on her deathbed. The poem finishes with a powerful metaphor, as she reflects to “never to dream of spiders // and when they turned the hoses on me // a burst of light”. This double entendre embodies the feeling of waking up, thinking that vision was all a dream, and the literal hoses that were on during the civil rights protests. Lorde saw firsthand the atrocities that the police constructed during these events. The hose represents the knowledge that their voices will always be silenced, and Lorde understanding that, speaks heavily and selects her words carefully to cut deeper.
Reflecting on her past trials and tribulations she has endured, Audre Lorde uses metaphors and symbols, and fiery word choice to impose the notion that her experiences are not unlike most of her color or gender. She paints real-life stories through this poetry, creates work that is relatable to most, and remains relatable 40 years later, to force the reader to think deeper about real-life issues. A woman that was ahead of her time, and counted out by many readers not ready for change, Audre Lorde was a real activist in every sense of the word through her poetry and continues to impact the movements today. She may have died before women of color were truly equal, and that fight is not over, but her poetry can help people find comfort and knowledge. If she was still here today, she would be pushing the charge forward and bringing equality she always preached, because she knew more than most, “women are powerful, and dangerous”.