Poem- "A Woman Speaks" by Audre Lorde

[Ms. Knarr]

A Woman Speaks by Audre Lorde



Moon marked and touched by sun

my magic is unwritten

but when the sea turns back

it will leave my shape behind.

I seek no favor

untouched by blood

unrelenting as the curse of love

permanent as my errors

or my pride

I do not mix

love with pity

nor hate with scorn

and if you would know me

look into the entrails of Uranus

where the restless oceans pound.



I do not dwell

within my birth nor my divinities

who am ageless and half-grown

and still seeking

my sisters

witches in Dahomey

wear me inside their coiled cloths

as our mother did

mourning.



I have been woman

for a long time

beware my smile

I am treacherous with old magic

and the noon's new fury

with all your wide futures

promised

I am

woman

and not white.

[samentwistle]

1. I believe that this poem is truly about a woman's gender role in society. Regardless of race, it exeplifies a woman's stuggle for rights within each woman's community. The author of the poem talks about the idea that women are never given a chance to shine in society, but they are judged based on actions. As said by the author, whether a woman is alive or dead, she is not cared about, but, when something is done wrong a women is not treated with the respect she deserves. I believe that the author is trying to speak about the idea that women aren't treated the way they should be during the time period in which this poem was written.

2. The feeling that I get from this poem is that women were not treated fairly. I notice many injsutices that are spoken of and the reaction I get is very uneasy. I feel that women should always be treated fairly and they should also be treated with the same respect that men get. Even though the poem was a difficult read, with strange stanzas and phrasing that was hard to read, I found it a very insightful read. The poem, overall, was very interesting to read, and also full of information on the time period.

3. 1) In what region do you think the author is writing from? 2) Do you think this was written from a slaves point of view or the point of view of a freed slave? 3) In the first stanza, what do you think the sea exemplifies? 4) When the author says, " I am woman and not white," what do you think the author means?

[trevorsocarras]

I think the overall meaning of the poem is to discuss the independence of women and how women are equal to men. I think that this poem had very deep meaning that the author tries to make the reader predict. I believe that women should have the same opportunities in society and the world as men do. As the author explains in the poem, women will leave their mark on the world even if the world turns it back on them. I think the author explains that women don’t need help to do something that they believe in rather they want others to stop judging them. Also, women seek no favors or pity when they are faced with a challenge that seems unobtainable. I think the author does a great job of describing independent women in this piece and how women should have the right to do anything that men do.

I personally enjoyed the poem. I agree with the author when it comes to looking at women just as one would look at a man. Women have the same will power as men do and also have the same emotions and don’t need to be taught or driven, they can think for themselves. I think this poem brings out many emotions in describing how women are perceived in this world. I believe if our world didn’t have a past of mistreating women or denying them rights as human beings, then maybe we wouldn’t have an ideology that men are the Supreme Being and that we are all looked at as equals no matter the gender, age, culture, or race.

To answer the third question, the sea portrays the world. When the sea “turns back” you can leave a mark in the sand. I think this can relate to how women can leave their mark on the world even when the world has turn its back on women. I have to credit the author and say that was a great way to get the reader to think about how women are affected by stereotypes and negatives in the world. Hopefully in time, women will be viewed as equals and there will be no more stereotypes about what women can and cannot do.

1.What can you infer about the author’s ideal woman when the author says, “I am treacherous with old magic?”

[samentwistle]

1. Now that I see a differet point of view, I agree with Trevors thoughts. His take on thepoem was very psitive and he made mny good points that women can still have an impact on the world even if they aren't recognized. Also, Trevor wrote about the idea that women are descrived as free and independant in this piece. With my point of view, I have realized that I could have taken a more positive look at the poem instead of a neative one.

2. I believe that you can infer that the author's ideal woman will be strong in the future but she can not do anything about her past. I feel that the author is simply looking ahead to all of the possibilities that this ideal woman has to come, and not the mistakes she has previously made.

My next question:
1. Being that the author has a thought of an ideal woman, do you think that she fit this idealistic women's role?

[deannazaha]

1. I believe that the meaning of this poem by Audre Lorde is that not only is it difficult to be a woman, but to be African American as well. By saying, "but when the sea turns back it will leave my shape behind," I believe that the author is implying that her goal here is to seek equality. She wants to make an impact on the situation, bring awareness to the fact that women deserve equal rights, as do African Americans in general. She brings a feeling of feminism to this poem, bringing power to women and suggesting that women are underestimated; that they are more powerful and influential than people think. She especially gives African American women a strong role, especially with her last words, "I am woman and not white."

2. I believe that this piece is quite powerful. I enjoyed reading it because it directly acknowledged the difficulty that African American women had to face every day. Not only is she not treated fairly for being a woman, but also because she is of another race. It gives a hint to how different things were in this time period and how truly difficult it seemed to be to gain equality for women. Lorde's poem shows that it is wrong to discriminate and I personally find that to be a very powerful and important message that has to spread. Although some equality has been gained, there are still some people today that are sexist and racist Perhaps by looking at things from the view of those being discriminated against (such as Audre Lorde's poem shows us), one would realize what hardships they go through and learn that we should enforce equality among all people.

3. To answer Sam's fourth question, I believe that by saying, "I am woman and not white," Lorde was trying to provide a sense of strength. She tries to portray the difficulty she has endure being both African American and a woman. With both of those categories being discriminated against at this time, she seems to be trying to prove the point that as an African American woman, she is standing strong as should others.

And my question is, What point is the author trying to prove through her poem? What clues are given in the text?

[karlpreisner]

1. I believe this poem is showing how it is extremely hard to be a black woman. The narrator also says that she remembers the horrors of her past ancestors. She also says that being a black woman is more difficult that being a white woman, yet she is still a woman.
2. Personally I don't like this poem. It is rather bland and the stanzas are strange. Some of the lines only have one word in them! But this poem displays a powerful message, and I respect the author for that.
3. To answer the first question, I think the poem was written in the South. The blacks in the South had a much more difficult time of becoming unified with the whites in society.
Q:I can't understand what the author is saying when she says "and if you would know me look into the entrails of Uranus where the restless oceans pound." What does this mean?

[matpolanco]

Karl, I understand where you are coming from but i think she is talking for women in general. She doesn't mention her race until the end of the poem. I think she does this in order to show that its not just African American Women that are struggling, its all women. I think this Poem also brings people together as one country. Not a bunch of different races.
I agree with Karl on how the poem is formatted oddly. It was kind of a bland poem but i feel like i got a lot out of it. It has a strong message.
Sam's Question: I don't think she fits in an idealistic women s role. she is making a stand. She is calling out and that is not what many idealistic women did. They didn't vote or think for themselves. But the author is.
My Question: Why doesn't the Author mention her race until the End?