Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem "To the Poet Who Happens to be Black and the Black Poet Who Happens to be a Woman" confronts the multiple intersections of identity, specifically gender and race, while challenging the invisibility and erasure faced by Black women poets. It is an evocative journey through the genesis of the speaker's identity, expressed through four different sections that explore various facets of her existence.

The first section speaks to the poet's birth in Harlem, pointing out the assumptions made about her due to the color of her skin. The line "You were so dark," my mother said, "I thought you were a boy" underscores how skin color and gender are intertwined in the cultural perceptions of identity, from the very moment of birth. The depiction of her birth, with waters breaking on blue-flowered linoleum, places her entry into the world within a specific setting, capturing both the intimacy of birth and the challenges of growing up in Harlem.

In the second section, the focus is on sisterhood-of coming into a world where she finds her sister, a kindred spirit, waiting for her. They share an ancient, spiritual connection: "her song written into my palms my nostrils my belly." The line "in a language I was pleased to relearn" adds to the mysticism and points to a deeper wisdom and connection that transcend time and space.

The third section delves into the experience of navigating public spaces as a Black woman. The poet describes how she's never been mistaken for an object, yet she is regularly erased by the gaze of others. The lines "eyes canceling me out like an unpleasant appointment" are particularly poignant, revealing how a simple glance can demean and devalue her existence. The final lines of this section, "any color except Black and choice and woman alive," tackle the systemic erasure she faces as a Black woman, stripped of her agency and vitality in the eyes of society.

The last section serves as a declaration of the poet's mission to use her words as a vehicle for justice. She promises never to leave her pen "lying in somebody else's blood," emphasizing the transformative power of words to both wound and heal. The poet makes a commitment to use her pen responsibly, implicating that her words will be a reflection of her own blood, sweat, and tears-instead of exploiting the struggles of others for poetic material.

The overarching tone of the poem is both a celebration and a lamentation-celebrating the richness of being a Black woman while lamenting the societal norms that stifle her complete realization. It also speaks to the role of the Black female poet in capturing these myriad experiences, using the pen as both a sword and a shield. The poem itself becomes a nuanced critique of intersectionality, spelling out the unique challenges and privileges of being a Black woman, and more specifically, a Black woman poet. Through its vivid imagery, textured language, and visceral emotion, the poem encapsulates the multiplicity of experiences that shape the Black woman's life, insisting on her visibility and the acknowledgement of her complex identity.

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