Possibility is neither forever nor instant. It is also not easy to sustain belief in its efficacy. We can sometimes work long and hard to establish one beachhead of real resistance to the deaths we are expected to live, only to have that beachhead assaulted or threatened by canards we have been socialized to fear, or by the withdrawal of those approvals that we have been warned to seek for safety. We see ourselves diminished or softened by the falsely benign accusations of childishness, of non-universality, of self-centeredness, of sensuality. And who asked the question: am I altering your aura, your ideas, your dreams, or am I merely moving you to a temporary and reactive action? (Even the latter is no mean task, but one that must be rather seen within the context of a true alteration of the texture of our lives.)”
“Poetry is Not A Luxury” by Audre Lorde
In her work, “Poetry is Not a Luxury,” Audre Lorde aims to empower women by pinpointing the source of a woman’s strength – the dark, hungry yearning that settles deeply within her soul – and how she can channel that power into action through turning it into the poetry of the self. However, in the passage above, she pauses to acknowledge the doubts and struggles her female-identifying audience may hold upon reading her call to action.
Possessing the raw womanness of poetry is not enough to create change. A woman, Lorde argues, will face challenges to the strength of her will. She will be treated as a child, as if her opinion were not valuable, and these disguised accusations will diminish the vibrance of poetry of the self.
In this context, Lorde reminds the reader that they should not lose hope, as difficult as it is. Even though their action may be the product of her dreams and tears, a woman may see even a slim possibility of visibility torn down by waves of resistance.
But she goes on to question the necessity of concrete change, implying that even a temporary moment of relief counts. A small success is still a success – even if a woman’s poetry may not shift the entire patriarchal structure, even a moment of changing perspectives must be acknowledged as a moment of progress.
In this moment, Lorde addresses any doubts her female readers could have, the rational skepticism that contrasts the more emotional, raw energy that characterizes her work. And yet, with this counterargument, Lorde is able to argue that even though the possibility of success may be low, the fact that women are there, fighting for change and changing one perspective at a time, must not be overlooked as achievements in female empowerment. She speaks directly to her audience, honestly with the understanding that their fight for the visibility of female poetry in academic discourse may be an uphill battle, but she pushes forward, nevertheless.
Key: I understand this passage as a sort of a voice of reason in comparison to the rest of the passage. Lorde eschews on the power that a woman holds deeply within herself that can affect change. However, it is in this section that the reader sees that she understands that drawing upon this poetry may not be enough to create lasting change. In some ways, this is a rational, logical response to a more emotionally-charged piece that gives skeptical women the chance to accept her words and perhaps-divisive ideals, as well as the staying power in a world dominated by male voices.
Lock: I am still struggling with the phrase “temporary and reactive action” in “the context of a true alteration of the texture of our lives” as a possible result when a female dives into the deep yearning of her psyche. Based on the context of the paragraph, it seems to be a contrast to the desired concrete change that feminists hope their actions will have – instead, Lorde seems to acknowledge it as a temporary change that should still be celebrated. Do these actions refer to temporary improvements in the contemporary context of female empowerment (the most literal meaning)? Or do they refer to changes in the individual perceptions of how a woman sees herself within her own life (which makes the ‘textures’ section more logical)?