Aunt Ida Pieces A Quilt: Poem Analysis

In his poem, Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt, Melvin Dixon presents the protagonist Aunt Ida experiencing an internal as well an external dialogue with her family members. Initially, the poem starts off the mother of Junie (the departed) handing all the clothes to Aunt Ida. Automatically, the presence of disconsolate, nostalgic, and agonizing are the feelings that build up the atmosphere of the poem. However, as the poem continues the purpose to why Aunt Ida was handed down the clothes of Junie is because from the clothes of the decease she will make a quilt. As she starts to quilt the atmosphere of the poem transition to a more unifying and commemorations feelings towards the families that have had a family member die from AIDS and to Junie too. Indeed,

Family is usually synonymous to harmony and love. However, the words chaos and pain is rare to describes a family. Family is a combination of harmony and chaos, likewise love to pain. The problem is society focus only in the positive accepts. For Instance, in Stephanie Coontz article, What We Really Miss About the 1950s she recalls that what the American society reminisces about this era is that life was simple and one could find an equilibrium between work, family, friends, and school. (29). On contrary we note that Aunt Ida poems we feel the pain she is suffering. She has this difficult accepting Junie lost. She longs to have her family member back. Inclusively, the new birth of a baby does not content her rather she ignores the fact and states winter is coming soon’ (45). The birth of a baby is an allusion to a new beginning; a new cycle. Even though she lost one of her dearest and beloved family members a new beginning is being awaited. This is the beginning of a life without Junie but a new cycle to honor Junie through the quilts. Aunt Ida perfectly expresses her pain when she sees the clothes of her grandson and asks herself what she will do with all the clothes (44). Yet she reassures herself and remembers that she can use Junie clothes to make a quilt. Inclusively, she recalls Junies giggles while she starts to quilt (45). The poem chronically

Junie at a young age died of aids. As mentioned previously the quilt represents unity and the empathy. However, later in the poem we find out why Junie is so important to Aunt Ida. Junie was an important person to Ida because he was different from the rest. He was homosexual and was not ashamed of it. He would wear tight dungarees and would go out on Saturday nights. He was happy enjoying his life and he did not mind expressing his identity with people. On the contrary he would sing his lungs out. (45). One could infer that this was a surprise to the family. Primarily, because during this period homosexuality was not accepted. Often people were dehumanized to the extreme where many people opt for suicide. Secondly, the south is often recognized by their conservative and traditional beliefs. The beautiful aspect of this is, Junie family accepted him for who is. They did not mind his sexuality on their other they were content that he could express his identity. Although sometimes his family would tell him to be cautious to not expose his life fully to the world (45). His family was proud of Junie because he did not let adversity take him down. On the contrary he would go every Sunday to his church and sing in the choir. Junie would worship his God and he enjoyed it because it made him feel fulfilled (45). This is a representation of what a family is. A network of people who accept a