Summary

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Coal delves into the multifaceted identities of Audre Lorde as she navigates her roles as a black woman, mother, wife, and a lover of women. Through her poetry, she reflects on various life challenges and experiences. Her work showcases the journey of embracing her West Indian and African American roots, with motherhood and her connection to women being pivotal themes.

Claiming a Voice

For Audre Lorde, a black woman with West Indian heritage, understanding the struggles faced by black Americans in asserting their voice in society was intrinsic. Growing up in Harlem during the 1930s and 1940s, she became acutely aware of the pervasive racism around her. Her poem "Coal" is a testament to owning a powerful voice, deeply connected to her black heritage.

Black Speech as Poetry

In "Coal," Lorde skillfully turns black speech into poetic expression: “I/ is the total black, being spoken/ from the earth’s inside.” Here, she portrays poetic speech as a dynamic force that embraces black identity, simultaneously probing the extent and tone of a black woman's voice. Lorde emerges as a boundary-breaking black female poet, asserting the power and resilience of her words: “I am Black because I come from the earth’s inside/ now take my word for jewel in the open light.”

Imagery of Fire

The imagery of fire is a recurring motif throughout the book. This element of fire represents the anger and frustration born out of confronting a patriarchal and racist society. Lorde harnesses this fire, transforming it into a source of empowerment as she crafts her own spiritual and sexual identity. In the poem “Summer Oracle,” she equates fire with both warmth and purification, using it to strip away falsehoods and reveal truths.

Everyday Truths

Audre Lorde's contemporaries lauded her for her unwavering commitment to uncovering truth in everyday life. Although Coal might be considered uneven in its composition, its vivid portrayals of urban life, alongside themes of love, anger, and sorrow, establish it as a work of poetic evolution. From this collection, Lorde transitions into a more radical feminist perspective and achieves greater personal fulfillment.

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