Poem- "Who Said It Was Simple" by Audre Lorde

[Ms. Knarr]

Who Said It Was Simple By Audre Lorde 1934–1992



There are so many roots to the tree of anger

that sometimes the branches shatter

before they bear.



Sitting in Nedicks

the women rally before they march

discussing the problematic girls

they hire to make them free.

An almost white counterman passes

a waiting brother to serve them first

and the ladies neither notice nor reject

the slighter pleasures of their slavery.

But I who am bound by my mirror

as well as my bed

see causes in colour

as well as sex



and sit here wondering

which me will survive

all these liberations.

[jimmymahoney]

1. I think the meaning of this poem is that some of the people Audre Lorde hung out with would accept sexism because it wasn't as bad as racism. Lorde, however, demanded equality on all terms. The tree of anger having many roots means that there are many different things which make her angry.

2. I think this poem is strange with the three stanzas being very different. Some lines rhyme randomly while others do not. Overall I find it slightly confusing and not very clear.

3. Q1- What is "an almost white counterman?"
Q2- What is the meaning of the mirror?
Q3- Why is the author bound to their mirror and bed?

[anniepirone]

1. After reading this poem, I think that a reader could derive many meanings of this poem. Initially, I had thought that this poem was going to focus on how anger builds up with in an individual and can eventually burst from us before one can take much more. But as I read on, I realized that this poem could also be about women's rights, and the struggle women had faced with little rights. Overall though, on can derive many different meanings from this poem which is why Jimmy had made the observation he did. Unlike Jimmy, I believe that this poems focuses on a woman's struggle to participate in a rally for women to earn rights because she's constricted to her bed.

2. I did enjoy this poem. I liked this poem because Lorde makes her readers think. As I had said before, one can conclude many meaning of this poem just by reading one stanza. I also really like how Audre Lordes had written about a strong topic that still challenges women today (with less seriousness though). One thing I didn't like though is that there is not direct or obvious rhyme scheme, which I always like to have because it makes reading poems fun.
3. To answer Jimmy's third question, the author can be bound to her mirror and bed for two main reasons. During the time period that Lorde had lived through, women had little rights, and were seen inferior to all men in society. Because of this, women were confided to two items, their mirrors and beds; all for the man's benefit. Women had mostly seen their mirrors to look presentable for the men in society, and their beds do to sexual favors for the men in society. They were merely known for their looks and skills.
Q: What does the author mean when she says, "Sitting in Nedicks "?

[connorjmckeon]

1. I agree with Annie and Jimmy when they say the poems is about women's rights/sexism, but I think it's more about her personal struggles and less on the general concepts. I also agree that the poem changes gears a lot but I think the beginning is sort of explaining the general and leading up to her own struggles and the conclusion. When the author says, "But I who am bound by my mirror as well as my bed see causes in colour as well as sex" I think she is pointing out that she is victim of many prejudices; due to color, sex, and appearance. And in her conclusion, she realizes that even if one of these cruelties ends, they all won't.

2. I didn't like the poem because it was hard to follow. It didn't seem to follow any pattern or story. The message was hard to get and everyone has a different take on it. I did like the authors point that not all the injustices will end.

3. Answer Jimmy's second question: I think the mirror represents her appearance. When she said she is "bound by my mirror" I think she is saying she is judged by what she looks like, the same as color or sex. She can't change any of these so she is bound, or stuck how she is, by them.
My question: Why would the author and her peers hire people to set them free if they're trying to stand up for themselves? (see lines 6-7)

[jessicanoel]

1. I strongly agree with Connor here. I think the author is focusing on personal struggles. In my opinion, the reason the poem changes gears a lot is because when someone is angry or frustrated their thoughts tend to be "all over the place". Lourde is describing the hardship that she and her peers were faced with; sexism and racism. Lourde had no control over her sex nor she did over her skin color which left both she and her peers exasperated.

2. I did like this poem. I feel as if Lourde did an exceptional job to describe her hardships. I like the way she explained that injustice can be exhibited in many forms. Her two examples were sexism and racism, which are similar. However, she goes on to say that no matter which way injustice is portrayed it still has the compelling power to destroy a person.

3. Answer Jimmy's second question: I think the mirror represents her strength. As Connor and Annie both said, she has very little rights and she is being judged by her appearance; both color and sex. Such morally repugnant behavior can devastate someone mentally and physically. When the author says, she is bond to her mirror, I believe she is saying she is bound to her strength because that is the only way she will survive what she is going through.

Q1: What does the author mean when she refers to "the slighter pleasures of their slavery"?

[elineal]

1. I also agree with Connor and Jess I believe Lourde was trying to convey his personal struggles and relate them to everybody else. I think the anger he talks about relates to his mixed feelings of the world he lives in. He is stuck with the hardships he was born with and it angers him but after living with it he acts less angry.

2. I liked how the poem stayed inside the narrator's head and did not jump point of views. I like the symbolism of the tree as life and its hardships. I agree with Jess in liking his explanation of the injustices of the world.

3.
Answering Connor's question) because I think he feels that the only way to get his freedom is to have all who are oppressed like him to stand up as well.

(My question) Why do you think Lourde feels so strongly about 'standing up'?

[chrismarrie]

1. I also strongly agree with Connor and Jess. Lourde is trying to talk about all of the personal hardships she has faced due to racial or sexist prejudices. Because of this, she says she is "bound by my mirror as well as my bed", meaning that she faces many limitations being a woman. She feels she does not have nearly the equality that men do, relating it to a kind of slavery. Also, like she states in the beginning, this angers her.

2. I did like this poem because as Jess said, she did a good job explaining all of the different prejudices that are being directed towards her. It had short, little phrases that stuck to the point and didn't veer off talking about unecessary things. Also, I like how at the end she wonders what kind of ending will come about it.

3. (Eli's question) I think she felt so strongly about "standing up" because of the experiences in her life. Since she was most likely the victim of this sexism and racism, she really understands the hardships and believes it needs to stop.
(My question) What does she mean by "that sometimes the branches shatter before they bear?"

[dylanzaliwski]

1. The poem talks about sexism and racism and how it affects everyone. Audre Lorde wants to show that sexism is just as bad as racism and it has the same harmful message just towards a different group of people. She also says at the end that it will be hard to overcome these prejudices and end them.

2. I did like this poem. Audre Lorde wants the reader to really think about prejudice and how it hurts everyone and how difficult it is to overcome those who are very judgmental. It has a very good message about the negativity of prejudice.

3. (Answering Chris' Question) The line "that sometimes the branches shatter before they bear" means that the branches of the tree of anger are actually the spread of hate amongst people and when they break it is a sign that the hate has left that person or group of people.

(My Question) What does the author mean when she says, "which me will survive all these liberations?"

[darbycasey]

1. I agree with what Annie said. I think this poem can go in several different directions. I do think it has to do with sexism and racism. I think Lorde may have been trying to show that not only was racism prominet at the time, but there was also a lot of sexism. As other people also said, I think it has to do with personal problems we all encounter and how sometimes that leads to anger. This anger sometimes is released in the wrong ways. For example, some people may act out in harmful actions as a result of their anger without having thought the problems over before reacting.

2. I like this poem because I think it is a topic many people can relate to. We all have our own problems and our own ways of dealing with them. This poem allows us to take a step and evaluate how we act to these problems. Do we act without thinking? Do we take time to think about the issue? or Do we just keep these problems bottled us without ever saying or do anything? Lorde does not tell us which way is the right way to deal with our problems he leaves that up to us to decide.

3. In response to Dylan's question: I think by that line Lorde questioned himself as to which way he will deal with the problems he faces because as I previously stated there are several ways of going out dealing with our problems. Therefore, I think he knows he'll get over it he just has to decide how.
My Question: Do you think slavery would effect how Lorde may deal with his own problems?

[martinwawszkowicz]

1. Just like everybody else above, I believe that this poem is about the type of life that Lorde faced. She writes about the discriminations that she faced in life being an African American woman at this time. Lorde feels that she does not have the same equalities between men, being a woman. And she does not have the same equalities between white people, being black.

2. I enjoyed this piece, it was short and to the point. Lorde really put a picture in my mind of how she went through this discrimination. I also liked her optimism at the end of the poem saying that she will survive through all of these liberations.

3. In response to Darby's question, I believe that slavery would effect how Lorde dealt with her own problems because she realized the discrimination that was going on. She seemed hopeful about slavery though, saying that there would be a liberation.

My Question: Do you think that all african american women during the time of slavery felt this same way?