Analyzing Audre Lorde's Poetry

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Poems have never been my favorite thing, however, the poems that I chose to analyze today were amazing. They had meaning that took me quite a while to understand, but in the end it all came together. Audre Lorde is a black, lesbian, published author, mother and self-proclaimed warrior.
Essex Hemphill, author of “Commitments,” is a black gay man. He has written many poems and published many books. The poem that chose is about him hiding who he is to be the person that his family expects him to be. Hemphill was hiding in plain sight. “Nothing appears out of character” (“Commitment” Line 34). His family never suspected that he was gay. Nothing was out of the ordinary that would suggest to them that he was. “I will always be there / when the silence is exhumed / when the photos are examined/ I will be pictured smiling / among siblings, parents, / nieces and nephews,” (“Commitments Line 1-6). When his family finally figures out that he is gay everything will fall into place. They will understand why he never brought anyone home for thanksgiving or backyard bar-b-que. Family plays a large part in Hemphill’s life. “I am always there / for critical emergencies,” (“Commitment” Line 28-29). He is always there for his family. Whether it is in “the middle of the night” or …show more content…

While Hemphill is quite overt about him being invisible, Lorde never mentioned invisibility directly. Hemphill said “I am the invisible son” (“Commitment” Line 32). His entire identity was invisible to his family. They were the closest people to him, yet they knew so little about him. Lorde said “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.” (“Who Said” Line 8-11). The women never saw the plight of the black man. They were willingly ignorant in order to keep their superior position in society. They allowed

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