Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"October" by Audre Lorde, penned in 1980, is a poignant exploration of mortality, identity, and the search for meaning. It weaves together elements of spirituality, folklore, and personal experience, creating a tapestry rich with layers of understanding. In the poem, Lorde grapples with the notion of life as a fragile and transient bridge between different realms, invoking Seboulisa, a mother figure emblematic of power, for guidance and strength.

The poem opens with an almost mystical scene, mentioning the "Spirits of the abnormally born" and the "heroically dead," suggesting a continuity between life, death, and the sacred. Spirits inhabit natural elements like water and snakes, bridging the earthly with the spiritual. The image of the snake is particularly evocative, as it has often been associated with transformation and the cyclical nature of life and death in various cultures.

As Lorde describes her life as a "wild bridge swaying in place," caught "between poems like a vise," the metaphors serve to encapsulate her own internal struggles. The bridge symbolizes her life-caught between the past and future, between different roles and expectations. Her life is a wild, unpredictable span that is neither completely stable nor collapsing but exists in a state of precarious balance.

Seboulisa, invoked as the "mother of power," serves as a spiritual guide in the poem. She embodies wisdom and strength, and Lorde seeks her guidance in facing life's challenges. The phrase "keeper of birds" refers to a traditional role of overseeing and nurturing, perhaps symbolizing the poet's yearning for a protective and enlightening presence. The appeal to Seboulisa is not just for personal strength but for the ability to channel this newfound power into meaningful action. Lorde asks for "the strength of your eyes / to remember what I have learned," emphasizing not just the acquisition of knowledge but its lasting impact and application.

The speaker then delves into a contemplation of mortality, requesting that her heart be carried "to some shore / my feet will not shatter." This appears to be a yearning for a stable, eternal place in both life and afterlife, a sanctuary that is beyond the brittle constraints of earthly existence. She asks not to die without naming "this tree / under which I am lying," a plea for the recognition and understanding of her own life and circumstances.

The closing line of the poem, "Do not let me die still / needing to be a stranger," encapsulates the profound sense of existential loneliness and the quest for identity that pervade the work. It's a cry against alienation and the perils of living without fully knowing oneself or one's place in the universe.

Through its vivid imagery, invocation of spiritual elements, and profound existential questioning, "October" demonstrates Lorde's mastery in distilling complex emotional and spiritual dilemmas into verse. It is a poem that invites multiple readings, each unveiling a deeper layer of its intricate interplay between the personal, the spiritual, and the universal. In confronting mortality, it also brings to the fore the importance of living a life of purpose, one that transcends the limitations of time and physicality.

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