Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Conclusion" by Audre Lorde, penned in 1970, is a strikingly potent work that delves deep into the chasms of identity, racial consciousness, love, and mortality. Set against a socio-political landscape replete with civil rights struggles and societal unrest, the poem asserts Lorde's own unique perspective as a Black woman "born without illusion."

The poem initiates a dialogue between differing viewpoints, represented by the speaker and an ambiguous "you," whose reality is sharply contrasted with hers. Lorde's first lines, "Passing men in the street who are dead / becomes a common occurrence," instantly cast a shadow, establishing a tone steeped in both the metaphorical and literal reality of death. For her, the men she passes are dead not only in the sense that they may be physically deceased but also in that they are metaphorically deadened by societal constraints, particularly racism and the limitations it imposes on human lives.

The juxtaposition of love and death is immediately established, as the speaker notes that "loving one of them / is no solution." The duality of love and mortality runs as an undercurrent throughout the poem. The speaker posits her belief in love as strongly as in "our children," yet this love is colored by her Black identity and the lack of illusions that accompany it.

As the poem progresses, Lorde paints a vivid picture of the sleep and dreams of "you," the person to whom the speaker is addressing her observations. These dreams are described as "nondesperate," indicating an inherent privilege that allows for dreams unburdened by the weight of existential or societal despair. The nights of "you" are said to be "wintery long and very young," filled with "purity and forgiveness." Such descriptions evoke traditional Western, often Eurocentric, themes of innocence and redemption. However, these are immediately contrasted with the speaker's own nights, which she wears "as [she wears her] life and [her] dying-absolute and unforgiven."

Lorde creates a dreamscape "where the future / glows eternal and green," though marred by "bloody and unrelenting rooms." This section brilliantly encapsulates the paradox of the Black experience: a hope and a vision for the future, constantly threatened by the nightmarish reality of racism and social injustice. Even within this dreamscape, the young play at war, their fingers like "wooden stumps," unable to grasp their own destinies.

"Conclusion" is a deeply layered work that effectively communicates the complexities of living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. Audre Lorde uses the poem as a vehicle to voice not only the existential and emotional aspects of such an existence but also its sociopolitical realities. The poem stands as a testament to the clear but "sometimes restricted" vision of its speaker, offering a vivid illustration of the stark divides that define the varying experiences of love, life, and the possibilities of dreaming in a racially stratified society.

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