Imagine living in a time where there are social rights movements happening all around you, and even with those movements, you were still being oppressed and not thoroughly represented or stood up for. Throughout the sixties, seventies, and early eighties, this was the reality for Black women. The Black Liberation Movement left these women continuing to feel sexually oppressed, while the Women’s Movement left them still feeling racially oppressed. The problem was in the fact that these identities, “black” and “woman” did/do not exist separately, but rather simultaneously (intersectionality) but the problems that these two identities faced simultaneously were not being addressed. Due to their needs and over all existence being ignored, the Black Feminist Movement began, and had the goal to develop the theory that would end sexist, racist and classist discrimination. Intersectionality is a theme that is heavily used in Audre Lorde’s works, in regard to her race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, etc.
Audre Lorde considers herself to be multiple different identities at once, “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”, which we read in our first reading from the Poetry Foundation, titled Audre Lorde. One of our readings for this week is Lorde’s poem Coal which is arguably a poem about being Black and the power that comes with that identity. Oxford Dictionary’s definition of coal is “a combustible black or dark brown rock consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter, found mainly in underground deposits and widely used as fuel”. Lorde carries this definition into her poem, as her first few lines read “I/Is the total black/being spoken/From the earth’s inside”. From these lines, it can be insinuated that Lorde is identifying herself as the coal. As history shows, the earth is the birthplace of civilization, as civilizations get resources from the earth and build from the ground up. By writing about the power that she gains from being black, and therefore born from the earth, from nature, Lorde rewrites the narrative around being black. Instead of being oppressed, Lorde takes back that power.
However, in the second stanza, Lorde writes “Some words live in my throat/Breeding like adders,” and then at the end of the second stanza, “Some words/Bedevil me.” These lines could potentially be interpreted as Lorde’s recognition that there still are the expectations for Black women and the possible repercussions she may face for speaking out about how she feels. By having words that “breed in her throat like adders” and “bedevil” her, Lorde may be hinting at the anger that she must suppress and keep to herself as a woman of color.
Questions:
What other lines in the poem Coal could point towards the idea of Black feminism or the oppression that Lorde and other Black women may have felt during the Black Feminist Movement, or continue to feel today?
There have been movements, (Civil Rights Movement, Black Feminist Movement, Black Liberation Movement, Women’s Movement, etc…) and still are movements (Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ Movements, Human Rights Movement) that are attempting and succeeding in changing the narratives and ways that different groups of people are being treated and how they exercise their rights. Why do you think these movements are successful/what do you think these movements could change to become more successful?
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Hey Brooke, I really like your blog post and the points that you made. It really helped me better understand the poem and even find other ideas in the poem. I know as a white woman I won’t really understand what Lorde went through speaking up since I have the privilege to speak up about issues that I might encounter in my life without being seen in a negative way for the most part. Lorde states “Some words are open/Like a diamond on glass windows”(lines 8-9). I find this line to be very interesting because the word open is used several times in this poem. I also don’t think the word open is used in how we generally see it. I take the word open as the speaker saying that they say their words in an open way, but they have to also monitor their words in a way that what they say isn’t taken extremely personal. They have to be careful what they say in order for people to take what they’re saying as seriously, and to still maintain the audience’s attention.
Hi Brooke! Your interpretations of this poem are very unique and have made me understand it on a deeper level. The descriptive imagery in this poem really stood out to me. She uses very expressive words to show how she feels about the words that have been said to her out of hate, racism and sexism. She allows her readers to really feel the pain she has gone through in her life. Your first question really made me analyze each line thoroughly. Many lines show the oppression that Lorde and other Black women must have felt back during that time. When Lorde says “Some words live in my throat; Breeding like adders” (lines 16-17), it shows that Lorde felt trapped by her words that she was unable to express. She and other Black women may have felt like they shouldn’t speak up and if they did, they may suffer consequences. I can’t truly relate to Lorde’s words because I am a White woman, but her poems really make me, and I’m sure all her readers, feel the suffering she has endured and fought through.
Hi Brooke! I loved the deeper and more complex ideas you found in Lorde’s poem and explained throughout this blog. I am so happy you wrote about how you googled the title “Coal” (as I did the same thing). It definitely helped me think harder about what the entire poem was about. It is important how you talked about the different aspects of this poem, the good and the bad, about how Black women try to gain their own power and look for the positives, but still know what the reality is. The last stanza really sticks out to me with, “Love is another kind of open-/As a diamond comes into a knot of flame/I am black because I come from the earth’s inside.” I think this is really powerful because after all the negative’s in the second stanza, she really finds a hope for herself by being accepting and proud of who she is.
Hi Brooke! I really enjoyed your interpretation of this poem. I loved how you used the definition of the word coal to help aid your interpretation of the poem. I would agree with you in the fact that the poem is about taking what it means to be a black woman and how the speaker turns it into a symbol of power instead of shame and oppression. I also think that the line “How a diamond comes into a knot of flame” could also mean that being black creates more power. I think this line is important because a diamond is made by the burning of coal and carbon (which coal is composed of) and that the coal signifies blackness and the flame signifies the society that is out of control. Patriarchal and “white” society try to spread its’ belief onto people because they want control and flames spread and are in a sense out of control. This means that the speaker does not let the flame control her or take over her but creates something even better out of it. It creates a diamond which is one of the most valuable materials in society and are also, in a way associated with women (i.e. given as gifts is the form of jewelry and engagement rings to women). So out of this flame of society comes a beautiful thing which is strong. Diamonds are also one of the strongest minerals out there so it means that they are hard to break down. This could mean that black women have experienced the hardships of the flame but have not deteriorated but became beautiful and strong out of it and therefore cannot be broken down.
Hey Brooke,
I love how you pointed out the anger within the poem. Anger is something I attribute a physical reaction of heat to and within the first stanza I interpreted Lorde’s work to display this. The inside of earth is molten lava and this is something we know to be natural. The unnatural element seemed to surface to me as the “diamond comes into a knot of flame / How a sound comes into a word” due to the forging of both a diamond and word. Diamonds are cut by humanity just as words are created by humanity and through this, creation the word “coloured” emerges. This comparison of the natural against examples of unnatural to me seems as though Lorde is claiming we have forged the fate of the “coloured” implying they’re the ones who pay because of conscious racist decisions. I believe this sets up the anger that you detected further into the poem as the words chosen by Lorde sometimes explode (a process fueled by heat) and other times reside within her. Can’t wait to see your presentation!
Hi there Brooke! Your blog was so thoughtful and definitely involved many intriguing aspects of the poem. I thought it was quite interesting that you related Lorde’s mention of coal to perhaps symbolizing the power that she holds because of her dark skin color. This can be related to the quote, “How a diamond comes into a knot of flame” because it presents coal as something that when pressed hard enough will turn into a precious stone. Much of Audre Lorde’s identity and work stems from her roots as a strong, black female. It seems as if much of her motivation is driven from her role as a black woman in society, and the pressures that surround her perhaps fuel her as a writer. Audre Lorde is innately aware of the struggles black women faced, and still face, but chose to rise above it and find power within her identity. The relationship she is procuring with coal is quite fitting and provides an explanation for how she managed to rise above the stigmas and truly become a renowned writer. I found your response definitely encompassed this point of view, and truly enjoyed reading your input on this poem.
In answering the first question that was posed in the end, I found that after reading your very good analysis. I now have a better perspective on the poem. Lorde has lines spread throughout her poem that speak to how she and other women felt oppressed. “In a perforated book- buy and sign and tear apart-/And come whatever wills all chances/The stub remains “. These lines speak to how Black women have been bought and sold for years and in that process had their very bodies and cultural souls injured and even ripped from them. All that is left is a shell of a person. Lorde is using these lines to show that this feeling of how they were oppressed and subjugated for so long that now they feel that to this day. They strive for love, kindness, and acceptance. Lorde says “Take my word for jewel in your open light.” She and other Black women are seeking the openness and acceptance afforded whites and others. They wish to be in the light not the dark.
Hey Brooke,
Great job on your blog post. I love the flow of your post. I love how you defined the literal meaning of the word coal, then you connected it to the words and feelings of the poem. With the first line “I Is the total black” I think that Lorde proudly expresses her African heritage. She vividly highlighted her different identities and how the world around her perceives those identities.
Anger is most definitely an emotion found in the poem. Lorde is anger about the sexism and racism she experienced and lived with her whole life. The really important part is that her anger does causes destruction or hatred but rather it fuel her to speak up for those who are oppressed. The poem highlights how she channels her anger positively in order to transform it into something powerful.
The line”Bedevil me” expresses the oppression she faced and the oppression many are still facing even in today’s society. Unity is one of the most important characteristics we as a nation can possess. through unity, we will be able to achieve far more so I think the reason why the movement today is successful is that they understand the importance of unity and collaboration.
Hi Brooke! I love the way you described Lorde taking back her power in “Coal”. This poem was incredibly powerful. Her words seemed effortless. The imagery she used in this poem surprised me in its range. From discussing the earth in the second line to transitioning in to diamonds and flames, I felt her inner strength project into the lines. “How a diamond comes into a knot of flame” was one of my favorite lines from the poem because of the symbolism. To make a diamond, it must experience a metamorphism with coal. This represents how Lorde, along with other black women who have endured oppression, have experienced hardships and transformations of all kinds (ones we could endlessly elaborate on) to become the powerhouse that she is at the moment of publication. A diamond is deeply desired, fire is passionate and fiery and intimidating, and she has become something stronger through what she has experienced to become a voice for others. And to end the poem in a way that makes it full circle, she displays how she has gone through a metamorphosis and used what she went through to become this strong and be an example for the needed representation.
Hey Brooke! I really liked how you tied in the idea of intersectionality with the societal challenges of discrimination, sexism, racism, and classism in which women have faced throughout history, one of many being Audre Lorde. I found your blog post to be very well-written, which helped give me a lot more clarity about the poem and the underlying aspects of black feminism that’s hidden behind each stanza. I noticed that you mentioned a feeling of anger that is displayed within the poem’s powerful imagery and I definitely agree that it’s very significant to the title of the poem, “Coal,” as well as the first and last stanza! Both stanzas use the repetition of vivid imagery, stating that “…a diamond comes into a knot of flame” which introduces the transformation of a piece of coal into a diamond (4, 23). Lorde uses this analogy to make a point about the anger these women feel. She seems to be trying to transform these feelings of anger toward racism into something more positive and strong/powerful, such as the difficult, but beautiful outcome of transforming a piece of coal into a diamond. Also, I think it’s important to note that Audre Lorde actually places herself within the lines of the poem, which is shown in the last stanza, as she states “I am black because I come from the earth’s inside” (24). Here, she is using the piece of coal to represent her as a person and what others in society might think of her as, being that coal isn’t a desirable or beautiful rock compared to a diamond. Audre Lorde uses the analogy of transforming coal into a diamond to compare the process to the “flame,” or societal conflicts and how it will eventually evolve into something beautiful and worth fighting for in the end (23).
Hi Brooke! I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I especially liked the connection you made with Lorde’s poem, “Coal” and your thoughts about intersectionality. You described intersectionality as the recognition that all facets of one’s identity must be addressed simultaneously. Audre Lorde certainly embodies this idea of intersectionality in her work. As a poet, Audre Lorde is best known for her vivid imagery and emotional expression. And her poem, “Coal”, surely displays her poetic mastery. In this poem, she breaks out of silence and conveys how words can be used to give name and significance to new feelings. She reasserts and pays homage to her blackness within the very title of the poem, “Coal”. This poem is rather a reflection of Lorde’s of the way she views herself and the way society perceives her identity. One of the most prominent lines that demonstrate the oppression that Lorde and other Black women may have felt during the Black Feminist movement is hidden within the very first lines. Lorde states, “I / Is the total black, being spoken” (Lorde, lines 1-2) Here she is separating herself from the “total black” and uses the “I” to establish the state of double consciousness that she and many Black women face when living within an oppressive society.