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Analysis and comments on Coal by Audre Lorde

Comment 4 of 4, added on March 4th, 2008 at 9:29 PM.

why is it that white people can't write about anything that isn't about
white people? I'm Samoan, for me, this poem is fundamentally about being
black, centrally in terms of race, but pivotally, about every other living
thing. You just need to be able to read beyond yourself to see it.

Selina from New Zealand
Comment 3 of 4, added on April 15th, 2006 at 12:44 AM.

It wasn't that racist or immature. It just sounds more like a question a
pre-schooler would ask (along the lines of why is the sky blue? Why are
people mean). It's not even extremely offensive unless you are really going
out of your way to be offended. Ignorant though, yea sure.

Anyways I was just thinking about the opening line, it keeps running across
my mind. Such a dark opening line, if kept seperate from the rest can be
interpreted as gothic, but when associated with a cultural heritage gains a
whole new meaning. I liked that.

Jon S. from Canada
Comment 2 of 4, added on November 10th, 2005 at 8:56 AM.

Gottlieb, your comment is not only blatantly ignorant and immature, it's
extremely offensive and rude. Clearly you are uneducated and know nothing
about Audre Lorde, her works, or civil rights for that matter. Yes, she
writes about being African American, and the hardships she's faced, because
thses experiences are an integral part of her life and we as outsiders can
learn greatly from them. She also writes about being a mother, a daughter,
a lover, a second-class citizen, a poet, an American, and a lesbian (I'm
sure you also love that one). Please keep your idiocy to your self from now
on. This forum is for comments and questions that benefit learning and
growing, not racist, sweeping generalizations that bring us back to circa
1950.

Jenn from United States
Comment 1 of 4, added on May 18th, 2005 at 7:14 AM.

Why is it that black people can't write about anything except being black?

Gottlieb from United States



Information about Coal

Poet: Audre Lorde
Poem: Coal
Added: May 7 2003
Viewed: 5284 times
Poem of the Day: Jan 8 2007


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