Introduction
This paper will analyze the poetry of Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde. Black women in the 1970s encountered various prejudices, which the black feminist movement sought to end. Maya Angelou’s Interviews with Black Scholar is instrumental in understanding some of the challenges Black women experienced. The conversation provides insight into a range of topics, such as Black women, racism, and feminism. Conversation with Audre Lorde is a range of interviews and letters that focus on the work and experiences of Lorde. The 1970s was a period where liberal feminism took root as art became a tool for showing the oppression of women (Clarke 12). In this paper, I will analyze the poetry of Maya Angelou and Audre Lorde. The 1970s Black feminist politics had a profound influence on Black women’s poetry, and their poetry, in turn, helped to push the Black feminists forward.
Women Rights
The 1970s was a period where the push for an end to the discrimination of women joined with the arts. The Black feminist movement took a more active role in creating art that was focused on the challenges faced by African-American women. In the interviews, Angelou notes that the 1970s Black feminist movement inspired more women into the arts (Angelou 45). Most of the African Americans did not have the means to purchase books, which made it difficult for Black women to access knowledge. Issues such as African American women poets being considered as not on the same level as other writers indicate some of the prejudices that Black female poets encountered. Lorde was significantly influenced by the Black feminist movements in her poetry (Clarke 102). Lorde indicates that “the Black power and the civil rights movement of the late ’50s and ’60s was the prototype of every single liberation movement in the country that we are still dealing with today” (54). This indicates that a part of Lorde’s poetry was also dedicated to advancing the rights of women through the feminist movement.
Another aspect of the influence of the Black feminist movement on the poetry of both Angelou and Lorde is that both advocated for gay and lesbian rights. The feminist movement of the 1970s used art to advocate for equal treatment of all people regardless of race or sex (Clarke 9). Underground theaters were used to display works by different artists (Hagen 21). Black women who had struggled with their identity joined the movement. Lorde indicates that it was important to be involved in the Black feminist movement (Clarke 10). Participation helped raise awareness of the issues that queer women faced. Therefore, the Black feminist push for women’s rights appealed to the women poets because of their experiences.
Search for an Identity
Another aspect that can be used to show the influence of Black feminist politics on poetry is the search for identity for Black queer people and Black women. The main motivator for the feminist movement was the need to create an identity that was acceptable to people. This led to the emergence of art that focused on creating a society that accepted queer people. Both Angelou and Lorde focused on how these issues were interconnected with other issues such as race. Lorde in particular paid attention to the experiences of gay and lesbian African Americans. Lorde notes that wherever oppression manifests Black people are potential victims (35). The poet also indicated that there was no hierarchy of oppression in the Conversation with Audre Lorde (Lorde 21). This shows that the use of poetry to create an acceptable identity for Black queer people enhanced the advancement of the Black feminist movement in the years that followed.
Angelou also focused on redefining the black woman as a way of ending the prejudices that existed. Hagen notes that in the Phenomenal Woman, Angelou notes that “but when I start to tell them, they think I am telling lies” (102). This illustrates that women tend to receive disapproval or hatred when they indicate they have succeeded in something. Angelou depicted the Black people as caged because of the oppression they had encountered and continue to encounter (Hagen 58). The author notes that the Black woman needed representation in a way that was different from the past. For Angelou, poetry was a critical tool for creating the identity of a Black woman.
Shared Experiences
Both Angelou and Lorde had experiences that were similar to what the Black feminist movements were pushing to change. In Conversations with Audre Lorde, the author indicates that poetry was a way to discuss some of the issues that were forbidden at home. Lorde indicates that her parents could not discuss issues of race because of fear that had been instilled by years of violence towards Black people (Lorde 117). The need to silence Black people was based on the assumption that without shared experiences, it would be impossible for them to develop and advance. Access to books that educate people about their culture and experiences enhances their growth. Lorde shows how poetry was an important tool for providing other Black women with a way within which they could hope and dream. “Your silence will not protect you”, shows Lorde ‘s belief that speaking was the only solution for advocating for a better America (Lorde 81). This can also be seen in the poetry of Maya Angelou.
Angelou was also motivated by the need to change the way people perceived Black women. In the poem Still I Rise, Maya indicates that nothing and no one can oppress her (Hagen 35). Black feminist politics involved the fight for equality for females. The oppression of Black people had a significant effect on the poetry of Angelou. In the Interviews, Angelou notes that Black people needed to have a voice to be heard and this was possible through poetry (Angelou 46). In this reference, Angelou indicates that poetry was a way of turning the shared experiences of Black people into something powerful. The view that poetry was an influential tool for Black women is also shared by Lorde. The Black feminist movement provided an impetus for both Angelou and Lorde to represent the experiences of Black women.
As a result of the influence of the Black feminist movement of the 1970s, Lorde saw poetry as a tool to push for better rights for women and other oppressed people. The main goal of Lorde was to use poetry to create a society that was not affected by differences. Clarke indicates that women poets in the 1970s and later focused strongly on advocating for the end to discrimination (31). As an individual who had encountered a difficult childhood that resulted in silence, Lorde preferred to talk about the different issues and experiences. The Black feminist movement contributed to more women writers being confident. In the Conversations with Audre Lorde, the author highlights that pushing for an end to oppression would be successful through the use of poetry (Lorde 34). This is because poetry gave the writers a platform that ensured they could share the real experiences of Black Americans.
Angelou also used poetry to push for issues that had been brought into focus by the Black feminist movement. One of the issues is the perception of women in society, which is well discussed in the poems. Hagen indicates that Angelou focuses on the perception that women cannot be successful (56). This is because of the experiences Angelou had encountered during the start of her career. Most of the women poets encountered difficulties because of the belief that women could not become successful. The feminist movements helped raise awareness that females have equal opportunities in society. This influenced the poetry of the time and impacted the themes that the authors used. In most of the works by Angelou, the focus is on fighting for an end to racism and women’s oppression. Therefore, the Black feminist politics of the 70s impacted the topics that poets such as Angelou and Lorde undertook.
Conclusion
In summary, the Black feminist movement of the 1970s was crucial in shaping the poetry of Angelou and Lorde. Through shared experiences, the authors were able to highlight major issues that affected Black women. The search for an identity and women’s rights were two aspects that resulted from Black feminist politics. Angelou and Lorde used poetry to push for an end to oppression, which helped advance the Black feminist movement.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. “Interviews: Maya Angelou.” The Black Scholar, vol. 8, no. 4, 1977, pp. 44-53.
Clarke, Cheryl. ” After Mecca”: Women Poets and the Black Arts Movement. Rutgers University Press, 2005.
Hagen, Lyman B. Heart of a woman, mind of a writer, and soul of a poet: A critical analysis of the writings of Maya Angelou. University Press of Amer, 1997.
Lorde, Audre. Conversations with Audre Lorde. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2004.