Power

Warning: The poem has profanity and graphic description of violence. Hence it is not appropriate for kids under 16.

Power
through Audre Lorde

The distinction between poetry and rhetoric
is being geared up to kill
yourself
as opposed to your children.

I am trapped on a wasteland of raw gunshot wounds
and a dead infant dragging his shattered black
face off the brink of my sleep
blood from his punctured cheeks and shoulders
is the handiest liquid for miles
and my stomach
churns on the imagined flavor while
my mouth splits into dry lips
with out loyalty or reason
thirsting for the wetness of his blood
because it sinks into the whiteness
of the wilderness wherein I am lost
with out imagery or magic
seeking to make strength out of hatred and destruction
looking to heal my death son with kisses
most effective the sun will bleach his bones quicker.

A policeman who shot down a ten 12 months old in Queens
stood over the boy with his cop shoes in infantile blood
and a voice stated “Die you little ******” and
there are tapes to show it. At his trial
this policeman said in his own defense
“I didn’t notice the size nor nothing else
handiest the color”. And
there are tapes to show that, too.

Today that 37 yr antique white man
with thirteen years of police forcing
became set free
via eleven white men who stated they had been satisfied
justice had been done
and one Black Woman who said
“They convinced me” meaning
that they had dragged her 4’10’’ black Woman’s frame
over the hot coals
of 4 centuries of white male approval
until she allow go
the primary real electricity she ever had
and covered her own womb with cement
to make a graveyard for our kids.

I have now not been able to contact the destruction
inside me.
But unless I learn to use
the distinction among poetry and rhetoric
my strength too will run corrupt as toxic mold
or lie limp and vain as an unconnected wire
and one day I will take my teenaged plug
and join it to the closest socket
r******* an eighty five 12 months vintage white woman
who is somebody’s mom
and as I beat her senseless and set a torch to her bed
a Greek chorus can be singing in 3/4 time
“Poor thing. She by no means harm a soul. What beasts they are.”

Summary of Power
Popularity of “Power”: This poem became written by means of Audre Lorde. It takes about racial discrimination, the abuse of power, and injustice. It became first published in 1978. The poem speaks about the unjust action of a white cop, who mercilessly shot and killed a ten-yr-old boy inside the street. It additionally expresses the speaker’s indignant reaction towards this brutality. The poem has specific words and picture descriptions that won't be first-class to examine or visualize.
“Power” As a Representative of Prejudice: The poem reflects the racial discrimination and segregation of African Americans at the palms of white supremacy. The poem starts offevolved with a assessment between rhetoric and poetry. The speaker says that poetry, with its metaphorical and imagistic electricity, is capable of speaking approximately the brutalities which are best discussed and forgotten. She expresses her fury and anger at a white police officer who photographs a ten-12 months-antique boy in Queens handiest due to his skin color, and there is evidence of this barbarity, too. Yet, in spite of having large portions of evidence of his atrocious crime, the policeman is about free by means of the jury of eleven white guys thinking the justice is served. Unfortunately, whites were enjoying this supremacy for centuries.
Therefore, applying their unfair tactics, they have satisfied the mom of the victim, robbing her real strength as a junior. As the poet has witnessed all these tragedies on hand, she is unable to deal ache she feels for the victim. She adds, until she learns from this stressful experience, her very own literary strength becomes corrupt to the extent that someday she will harm an elderly girl without considering future consequences. The poem ends with the confusion that the ‘woman’ is harmless and didn’t should be hurt.
Major Themes in “Power”: Powerlessness of the black, supremacy of the white, and anger are the foremost subject matters underlined on this poem. The poem can be interpreted on two levels; non-literal and literal. On a literal level, it speaks approximately the ultimate electricity of the white cop that offers him the right to kill the negative boy. While on a poetic level, it speaks about the speaker’s feelings of disgust over this heart-wrenching incident. Keeping this incident inside the background, she highlights the unbridled freedom of the whites that replaces it with the electricity of her race. The cop’s potential to defend his race is became an inhuman act. However, by making use of her poetic gift, the speaker wants to make humans suppose and react in the direction of those racial injustices.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Power”
Literary devices are tools utilized by writers to feature deeper meanings to their texts. Their suitable use connects the readers with the writers’ feelings and the subject. Audre Lorde has additionally used a few literary gadgets in this poem to explore the phenomenon of life. The evaluation of some literary gadgets used on this poem has been given underneath.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within the equal line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “is being ready to kill” and the sound of /oo/ in “there are tapes to prove that, too.”
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds within the equal line in short succession. For example, the sound of /n/ in “I didn’t notice the size nor nothing else” and the sound of /t/ in “there are tapes to prove that, too”.
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within the identical line. For example, the sound of /l/ in “simplest the solar will bleach his bones quicker” and the sound of /t/ in “and join it to the closest socket”.
Enjambment: It is described as a thought in verse that does not come to an cease at a line break; instead, it keeps to the next line. For example,
“The difference between poetry and rhetoric
is being geared up to kill
yourself
instead of your children.”

Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers understand things regarding their 5 senses. For example, “A policeman who shot down a ten yr old in Queens”, “and as I beat her senseless and set a torch to her bed”, and “blood from his punctured cheeks and shoulders.”
Symbolism: Symbolism is a use of symbols to suggest ideas and qualities via giving them symbolic meanings distinctive from their literal meanings. Here, poetry symbolizes freedom of expression, and the white policeman is the symbol of white supremacy.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Power”
Poetic and literary gadgets are the equal, but some are used best in poetry. Here is the evaluation of a number of the poetic devices used on this poem.

Quatrain: A quatrain is a 4-lined stanza borrowed from Persian Poetry. Here, most effective the primary stanza is a quatrain.
Repetition: There is a repetition of the verse “there are tapes to show that” which has created a musical satisfactory inside the poem.
Refrain: The lines which are repeated at far in a poem are referred to as refrain. The verse, “there are tapes to prove that” is repeated with the equal phrases. Hence, it has come to be a refrain because it has been repeated within the 0.33 stanza of the poem.
Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of a few lines. There are 5 stanzas in this poem, with every having a distinctive range of verses.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated underneath are useful while speaking about the importance of poetry.

“The difference among poetry and rhetoric
is being prepared to kill
yourself
in preference to your youngsters.”

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