Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Audre Lorde's 1973 poem "Keyfood," the seemingly mundane setting of a grocery store becomes a lens through which to examine the complexities of identity, age, and human connections. The poem speaks of a woman waiting by the window, her actions a blend of daily routine and keen observation. She stands as a representation of marginalized individuals, carrying with her the weight of societal perceptions and the imprint of her own storied past.

The woman is described as "neatly labeled, old / like yesterday's bread," a vivid metaphor that captures how society often dismisses and overlooks the elderly, relegating them to the periphery. The phrase "weighs fear like grapefruit / testing for ripeness" is significant. The action of weighing fruit in a supermarket, a mundane task, is elevated to a poignant metaphor for evaluating the world around her-assessing for danger, discerning people's intentions, navigating a space that has not been built for her comfort.

A retrospective glance informs us that this woman was "more comfortable than wealthy, / more Black than white." This comparative description is compelling in its brevity, capturing her nuanced identity without reducing her to mere labels. It adds layers to her character: she is Black, and her blackness informs her worldview; she is neither wealthy nor poor but is comfortable, a word that encapsulates a certain kind of socioeconomic contentment that is rarely acknowledged in literary works.

Further, she was "more rushed than alone." This line crystallizes the essence of the hustle and bustle of life, the ceaseless activity that often masks loneliness or the desire for companionship. Once, "her powers defined her / like a carefully kneaded loaf / rising, restrained." She is likened to bread dough, a symbol of potential and transformation, also a feminine domestic element; it rises but is carefully molded, capturing the dichotomy of power and constraint that marked her earlier life.

In a striking transition, the poem notes that this woman was "once all / the sums of her knowing / more somebody / else's mother than mine," but now her actions are reduced to "weighing faces." This speaks to a loss of individuality with age, a reductive view that often sees elderly people merely as someone's parent or grandparent, stripping them of their unique identity. It also evokes a universality-she becomes every mother, every woman.

In the final stanzas, her "lonely eyes measure / all who enter the market." Her judgments have shifted from weighing fruit to weighing people, evaluating their age, and pondering their capacity for human connection: "are they new / are they old enough / can they buy each other?" Here, "buy" carries double weight: the literal act of purchasing in a market and the metaphorical act of understanding or accepting one another.

"Keyfood," skillfully utilizes the everyday setting of a grocery store to delve into themes of aging, identity, and societal norms. It raises questions about how we see and are seen, especially as we age and as societal roles change or become limiting. In scrutinizing the ordinary, Lorde reveals the extraordinary complexities that make up a single human life. The poem serves as a quiet but potent critique of the societal gaze, particularly concerning race and age, while also underscoring the vital but often overlooked act of seeing and acknowledging one another in our shared spaces.

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