'Inheritance—His' by Audre Lorde
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I.
My face resembles your face
less and less each day. When I was young
no one mistook whose child I was.
Features build coloring
alone among my creamy fine-boned sisters
marked me Byron's daughter.
No sun set when you died, but a door
opened onto my mother. After you left
she grieved her crumpled world aloft
an iron fist sweated with business symbols
a printed blotter dwell in the house of Lord's
your hollow voice changing down a hospital corridor
yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil.
II.
I rummage through the deaths you lived
swaying on a bridge of question.
At seven in Barbados
dropped into your unknown father's life
your courage vault from his tailor's table
back to the sea.
Did the Grenada treeferns sing
your 15th summer as you jumped ship
to seek your mother
finding her too late
surrounded with new sons?
Who did you bury to become the enforcer of the law
the handsome legend
before whose raised arm even trees wept
a man of deep and wordless passion
who wanted sons and got five girls?
You left the first two scratching in a treefern's shade
the youngest is a renegade poet
searching for your answer in my blood.
My mother's Grenville tales
spin through early summer evenings.
But you refused to speak of home
of stepping proud Black and penniless
into this land where only white men
ruled by money. How you labored
in the docks of the Hotel Astor
your bright wife a chambermaid upstairs
welded love and survival to ambition
as the land of promise withered
crashed the hotel closed
and you peddle dawn-bought apples
from a push-cart on Broadway.
Does an image of return
wealthy and triumphant
warm your chilblained fingers
as you count coins in the Manhattan snow
or is it only Linda
who dreams of home?
When my mother's first-born cries for milk
in the brutal city winter
do the faces of your other daughters dim
like the image of the treeferned yard
where a dark girl first cooked for you
and her ash heap still smells of curry?
III.
Did the secret of my sisters steal your tongue
like I stole money from your midnight pockets
stubborn and quaking
as you threaten to shoot me if I am the one?
The naked lightbulbs in our kitchen ceiling
glint off your service revolver
as you load whispering.
Did two little dark girls in Grenada
dart like flying fish
between your averted eyes
and my pajamaless body
our last adolescent summer?
Eavesdropped orations
to your shaving mirror
our most intense conversations
were you practicing how to tell me
of my twin sisters abandoned
as you had been abandoned
by another Black woman seeking
her fortune Grenada Barbados
Panama Grenada.
New York City.
IV.
You bought old books at auctions
for my unlanguaged world
gave me your idols Marcus Garvey Citizen Kane
and morsels from your dinner plate
when I was seven.
I owe you my Dahomeyan jaw
the free high school for gifted girls
no one else thought I should attend
and the darkness that we share.
Our deepest bonds remain
the mirror and the gun.
V.
An elderly Black judge
known for his way with women
visits this island where I live
shakes my hand, smiling.
"I knew your father," he says
"quite a man!" Smiles again.
I flinch at his raised eyebrow.
A long-gone woman's voice
lashes out at me in parting
"You will never be satisfied
until you have the whole world
in your bed!"
Now I am older than you were when you died
overwork and silence exploding your brain.
You are gradually receding from my face.
Who were you outside the 23rd Psalm?
Knowing so little
how did I become so much
like you?
Your hunger for rectitude
blossoms into rage
the hot tears of mourning
never shed for you before
your twisted measurements
the agony of denial
the power of unshared secrets.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Inheritance—His by Audre Lorde: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Introduction
Audre Lorde's poem "Inheritance—His" is an embodiment of the intersectional feminist thought and a critique of patriarchal inheritance. The poem's themes revolve around the male-dominated power structures that dominate society and the struggle of the marginalized and oppressed to find their voice. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the poem's themes, literary devices, and structure in detail.
Themes
The poem's primary themes are inheritance, gender, and power. The poem begins by describing the speaker's inheritance from her father, a "man who did not believe in luck." The speaker is critical of her father's attitude, which she perceives as a manifestation of the patriarchal notion that hard work is the only determinant of success. The speaker then goes on to describe her inheritance from her mother, which includes "a legacy of survival / and the sword of rebellion."
The theme of gender is evident in the poem's second stanza, where the speaker describes how her father's "teachings / of masculinity and stoicism" have affected her. The speaker is critical of the societal expectations placed on men to be emotional and stoic. She describes how these expectations have led to the suppression of emotions and the inability to express oneself fully.
The theme of power is prevalent throughout the poem. The speaker challenges the traditional power structures that marginalize and oppress the marginalized. She speaks of the "doubled-edged blade" that is the inheritance of the marginalized, which includes both the legacy of survival and the burden of oppression. The speaker is critical of the patriarchal system that perpetuates the oppression of women and the marginalized.
Literary Devices
Lorde employs several literary devices in the poem to emphasize the themes of inheritance, gender, and power. The poem's structure, rhythm, and use of imagery all contribute to the poem's meaning.
Structure
The poem's structure consists of eight stanzas with varying numbers of lines. The irregularity of the stanzas reflects the complexity of the themes discussed in the poem. The first stanza consists of a single line, which emphasizes the importance of the speaker's inheritance. The second stanza has four lines, which describe the speaker's father's teachings. The third stanza has three lines, which describe the speaker's mother's legacy. The fourth stanza has seven lines, which describe the speaker's struggle to reconcile her inheritance. The final four stanzas have six lines each and describe the speaker's determination to overcome the patriarchal system.
Rhythm
The poem's rhythm is irregular, with varying line lengths and stresses. The use of enjambment and caesura adds to the poem's rhythm, emphasizing the speaker's struggle to find her voice. The poem's use of repetition, particularly in the fourth stanza, also contributes to the poem's rhythm.
Imagery
The poem's imagery is vivid and powerful. The use of metaphors, particularly the sword of rebellion, emphasizes the speaker's defiance of the patriarchal system. The use of imagery to describe the doubled-edged blade of the marginalized is particularly poignant, emphasizing the burden of oppression that the marginalized must bear.
Analysis
The poem is a scathing critique of the patriarchal system that marginalizes women and the oppressed. The speaker is critical of the societal expectations placed on men to be emotionless and stoic. She describes how these expectations have led to the suppression of emotions and the inability to express oneself fully. The speaker is also critical of the traditional power structures that marginalize and oppress the marginalized. She speaks of the "doubled-edged blade" that is the inheritance of the marginalized, which includes both the legacy of survival and the burden of oppression.
The poem's use of imagery is particularly powerful. The sword of rebellion, which the speaker inherits from her mother, is a metaphor for the speaker's defiance of the patriarchal system. The doubled-edged blade is a metaphor for the burden of oppression that the marginalized must bear.
The poem's structure and rhythm emphasize the complexity of the themes discussed in the poem. The irregularity of the stanzas and the poem's use of enjambment and caesura emphasize the speaker's struggle to find her voice. The poem's use of repetition, particularly in the fourth stanza, emphasizes the speaker's determination to overcome the patriarchal system.
Conclusion
Audre Lorde's poem "Inheritance—His" is a scathing critique of the patriarchal system that marginalizes women and the oppressed. The poem's themes of inheritance, gender, and power are explored through the use of literary devices such as structure, rhythm, and imagery. The poem's vivid and powerful imagery, particularly the sword of rebellion and the doubled-edged blade, emphasizes the speaker's defiance of the patriarchal system and the burden of oppression that the marginalized must bear. The poem's irregular structure and rhythm emphasize the complexity of the themes discussed in the poem and the speaker's struggle to find her voice. Overall, the poem is a powerful and poignant exploration of the struggle of the marginalized and oppressed to find their voice and overcome the patriarchal system.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Inheritance—His: A Poetic Masterpiece by Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde, the renowned African American poet, essayist, and activist, is known for her powerful and thought-provoking works that explore themes of race, gender, sexuality, and identity. One of her most celebrated poems, Inheritance—His, is a poignant and deeply personal reflection on the complex relationship between a father and daughter, and the legacy of pain and trauma that is passed down from one generation to the next.
The poem begins with the speaker describing her father as a man who "carries his history / like a map of scars / etched into his skin." This powerful imagery sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker delves into the painful history that has shaped her father's life and the lives of those around him. The scars on his skin are not just physical, but also emotional and psychological, representing the wounds that have been inflicted upon him by a society that has oppressed and marginalized him because of his race.
As the poem progresses, the speaker reveals that she too has inherited this legacy of pain and trauma from her father. She describes how she has "carried his history / like a weight upon my back / a burden I cannot shake." This weight is not just the weight of her father's experiences, but also the weight of her own experiences as a black woman living in a society that continues to perpetuate racism and discrimination.
Despite this shared legacy of pain, the speaker also acknowledges the differences between herself and her father. She describes how he "carries his history / like a shield against the world / a weapon to be wielded." In contrast, she has "carried his history / like a wound that will not heal / a scar that will not fade." This contrast highlights the different ways in which the father and daughter have coped with the trauma of their shared history. While the father has used his experiences as a shield to protect himself from further harm, the daughter has been left with an open wound that continues to bleed.
The poem also explores the theme of intergenerational trauma, as the speaker reflects on the ways in which the pain and trauma of one generation can be passed down to the next. She describes how her father's experiences have "seeped into my bones / like a poison that cannot be purged." This powerful metaphor highlights the ways in which trauma can become a part of our very being, shaping our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in ways that we may not even be aware of.
Despite the weight of this legacy, the poem ends on a note of hope and resilience. The speaker describes how she has "learned to carry his history / like a torch that lights my way / a flame that cannot be extinguished." This final image is a powerful one, as it suggests that the speaker has found a way to transform the pain and trauma of her father's experiences into something positive and empowering. Rather than being weighed down by this legacy, she has learned to carry it with her as a source of strength and inspiration.
Inheritance—His is a masterful work of poetry that explores complex themes of race, gender, identity, and intergenerational trauma with sensitivity and nuance. Through her powerful imagery and evocative language, Lorde invites us to reflect on the ways in which our own histories and experiences shape who we are and how we navigate the world around us. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to illuminate the human experience and to inspire us to create a more just and equitable world.
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