ipl-logo

Hanging Fire By Audre Lorde Analysis

691 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What is the figurative language in the poem hanging fire by audre lorde

The poem “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde illustrates the concerns and struggles many people face during their adolescent years. The poem is written in the voice of a 14 year-old girl that is worried about several different obstacles she is facing. “Hanging Fire” is expressing the hardships that come along with growing up by showing the everyday thoughts and fears of a teenage girl, as well as some more serious problems she is trying to conquer by her lonesome. “Hanging Fire” is written in a language that is very straight forward making it simple to comprehend what the girl is trying to stress. The girl seems extremely concerned with everything going on in her life from simple temporary problems, to more intense problems such as dying. Throughout the poem it is easy to understand her distress because she clearly states specific things she is worried about. The poem does not contain any complex or difficult stanzas, and it is easy to follow the girl’s thoughts. Since the poem is told in the voice of a 14 year-old girl, she does not use any elaborate metaphors. The form of “Hanging Fire” is different than most poems. It does not rhyme or have any regular meter. The poem contains 3 stanzas. The first stanza has 11 lines, and the other 2 stanzas contain 12 lines. Each line is relatively short. The part …show more content…

Using this style of writing makes the theme more easily understood. The imagery used in “Hanging Fire” helps to demonstrate the challenges the young girl is facing, and why she seems so worried. The switching back and forth to different thoughts and concerns she is having shows what it is like to be a teenager. This poem is meant to show the negative side of transitioning from a kid to an adult. It illustrates the tribulations of dealing with teenage struggles as well as beginning to worry about things in the adult

Show More
Related

Book Report On The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

1329 Words | 6 Pages

The story touches on things such as poverty, alcoholism, bullying, abuse, etc. It is an extremely eye-opening, humbling book that shows you that you can change your life around no matter how you were raised. This book is relatable to many people, including children and teenagers who are or may have gone through some of the same things that Jeannette and her siblings did. The theme that most resonated with me while reading the book was alcoholism. It is something that has been a part of my family life for a long time.

Read More

William Dickey's The Lumbar Executive

966 Words | 4 Pages

There are several components necessary to make a poem both understandable and engaging. William Dickey’s short poem, or chant as he calls it, The Lumbar Executive, possesses two of these components, persona, who is speaking in the poem, and repetition and rhythm, the repeat of words or lines and how it helps with the flow of the poem. William Dickey titled his poem, The Lumbar Executive, already telling the reader that the poem is in the point of view of some sort of big boss, to be more exact a lumbar executive. The typical, somewhat stereotypical, characteristics of a man in charge is seen throughout the poem. Within the first line of what Dickey calls a chant, the unnamed lumbar executive is giving orders, “The sacred direction: down.

Read More

Summary Of Hanging Fire By Audre Lorde

861 Words | 4 Pages

The extended metaphor throughout the story shows how adolescence happens and it shows what this experience is like. Finally, the need to belong to a peer group can make adolescents feel like they need to prove something to their

Read More

Red Hunting Hat Quotes In Catcher In The Rye

704 Words | 3 Pages

Furthermore, the book also relates to teens with the

Read More

Examples Of Coming Of Age In The Rule Of Three

900 Words | 4 Pages

This is how the novel demonstrates coming of age and the adolescent experience. One reason why the novel represents coming of age is the act of epiphany and revelation.

Read More

My Wicked Ways Analysis

693 Words | 3 Pages

Towards the middle of the poem, the meter changed to 4 syllables. At the end of the poem, the meter was much more. The meter for Stanza 14 was fourteen syllables. Stanza 26 was seventeen syllables. There is not a consistent poetic foot.

Read More

Analysis Of Planting A Sequoia By Dana Gioia

1100 Words | 5 Pages

The agony the writer is feeling about his son 's death, as well as the hint of optimism through planting the tree is powerfully depicted through the devices of diction and imagery throughout the poem. In the first stanza the speaker describes the setting when planting the Sequoia; “Rain blacked the horizon, but cold winds kept it over the Pacific, / And the sky above us stayed the dull gray.” The speaker uses a lexicon of words such as “blackened”, “cold” and “dull gray” which all introduce a harsh and sorrowful tone to the poem. Pathetic fallacy is also used through the imagery of nature;

Read More

Steady By Adam Bagdasarian

452 Words | 2 Pages

Hanging Fire depicts the speaker's struggle with insecurity and isolation. The structure and content of the poem reflect her discomfort and insecurity, as each line ends in a state of limbo. The speaker feels neglected and abandoned, uncertain about her future and whether she has the support of those around her. She longs for emotional connection, but also fears rejection and worries about what others think of her. Her fear of judgment is evident when she is ashamed of her appearance.

Read More

Loss Of Innocence In Mark Smith's The Road To Winter

783 Words | 4 Pages

A loss of physical innocence is shown here, "I can 't see my own arms and legs or know if this is a trap or blessing" She is telling us that she has become physically detached from her body and she is confused as she doesn 't understand if this moment is a "trap of a blessing. " The loss of innocence clearly links up with post-apocalyptic times in The Road to Winter where Finn lost his innocence when he decided whether to kill Ramage or not and him discussing his emotions. The novel has many dangers moments in it and this is shown in the poem as well, "rises up silently like dark bread. " This simile reflects the dangers of the natural world in post-apocalyptic times.

Read More

Summary Of Hanging Fire By Audre Lorde

606 Words | 3 Pages

Hanging Fire Hanging Fire is a poem that written by Audre Lorde, and it was published in the 1978 collection The Black Unicorn. The poem has been reprinted in several literary anthologies, such as the Norton Introduction to Literature. The author Audre Lorde described herself as lesbian, mother, black, warrior and a poet. Hanging fire is about a teenage girl who had some problem with herself and with her mother. In this poem shows how she feels alone, lonely, and worry.

Read More

Die Nachtigall Poem Analysis

822 Words | 4 Pages

Theodor Storm (1817-1888) was a German lawyer and writer who is perhaps best known for his novellas, most notably his last completed work “Der Schimmelreiter”. His writing developed from the lyrical depiction of love and nature, via artful fairy tales inspired by E.T.A Hoffmann and Hans Christian Andersen to realist prose. “Die Nachtigall” appears in the fairy tale Hinzelmeier, but this context is immaterial to the poem’s interpretation. It elaborates on a young girl’s transition to adulthood from the point of view of an outside observer and captivates the reader with its melodiousness and simplicity. It consists of two stanzas of five verses each.

Read More

Symbolism In Trethewey's Elegy

943 Words | 4 Pages

The balance between her reminiscing the past or holding on to so much aggression that she is forced to let go. These balances of struggle hold true throughout the entire poem to highlight the subliminal metaphors equipped with items typically used to destroy rather than build, along with symbolism that alludes to fighting

Read More

What Does The Woman Hanging From The 13th Floor Mean

811 Words | 4 Pages

This poem is about a woman with thoughts of suicide. The symbolism I noticed in this poem is a little more deep. Usually, in buildings there is no 13th floor because of the fear of the unlucky number 13. So, in this poem, in my eyes, the 13th floor symbolizes bad luck and non-existence, which is what is going through the woman's mind as she hangs from the 13th floor. The aspect of the thirteenth floor adds incredible depth to this poem.

Read More

Perhaps The World Ends Here Poem Analysis

607 Words | 3 Pages

Viewing “Perhaps the World Ends Here” from a psychological perspective gave me insight in to why Harjo would deliver a poem with such an inspiring moral. Harjo’s life defines the word “effort” and “Perhaps the World Ends Here” is a summarization of her life. Knowing how she achieved her many accomplishments regardless of the mental pressure she must have received due to her social status allows me to have deeper recognition for Harjo and her work. Her work emphasizes

Read More

Black Rook In Rainy Weather Poem

1056 Words | 5 Pages

However, the description of the poppies’ become negative as we see that the bright red colour of the poppies swaying in the wind. This reminds the poet of the flames flickering in the fires of hell: "little hell flames" She cannot touch the poppies and it frustrates her. She then wonders whether or not these poppies are dangerous. It drains her to watch the poppies, yet she continues to carefully observe them. She calls them as “hell flames,”She seems to refer to self harm multiple times in this poem.

Read More

More about Hanging Fire By Audre Lorde Analysis

Open Document