Racism in the Poem, Power

The poem Power by Audre Lorde is a five-stanza poem that explores inequality and
racism. In the poem, Lorde empathetically explains the killing of an Afro-American boy by a
police officer. The inhumane treatment of black people is depicted in the poem when the police
officer states that he did not kill the boy for any other reason other than his color. He says, “I
didn’t notice the size nor nothing else, only the color.” This line captures the main theme being
explored by the poet. The speaker is haunted by the death of a ten-year-old boy in the hands of a
racist white police officer. The poem uses figurative language to illustrate the oppressive and
infuriating nature of racism, how it has deprived black people of their power, and the hatred and
destruction it has caused.
The poet uses vivid language and metaphor to depict and condemn the racism behind the
killing of a ten-year-old boy. The poem begins with the lines “being ready to kill yourself,”
which appear in lines 2-4. Here, Lorde metaphorically describes “self-murder,” where the black
jury woman, mentioned later in the poem, decides to be defined by what others in the courtroom
are saying instead of asserting her personal beliefs. This, Lorde describes, is giving power to
others. Lorde criticizes the black jury’s decision to acquit the white officer. The black jury
indirectly became complicit in the killing of black children. While her one vote would not have
changed the verdict, she ought to have stood for the truth. She ought to have owned the power
given to her and acted right. However, as Lorde rites, she chooses to relinquish even the little
power that she has. In a country where racism ravaged and discrimination against black people
was widespread, the black jury decided to join hands with the oppressors. Further, in the first
lines, the poet aligns poetry with bravery and rhetoric with indifference. The first stanza sets the
tone of the entire poem. The pot breaks one sentence into four parts that appear in four different

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lines without any punctuations. There is only a period in the last line of the four lines. Also, the
word “kill” is metaphorically used ere to imply violence. The poet then discusses violence
against black power, not only the murder of the boy but also the fact that black people’s power
has been taken away from them.
Lorde links racism to the lack of power in one race and the enjoyment of the same power
by a different race. She uses symbols to emphasize power differentials that seem to have fuelled
racism. In stanza two, the speaker says, “I am trapped on a desert of raw gunshot wounds.” Here’
trapped” symbolizes a sense of powerlessness. the speaker here feels powerless. The “raw
gunshot wounds” mentioned in this line symbolize violence. One race is violent against another.
The violence is based on nothing but just differences in skin color. The speaker laments that
despite all the violence, she is trapped. The lack of power is widely discussed in stanza two and
in the rest of the poem. The poet writes that she is in a where she feels “lost.” The word lost here
also symbolizes helplessness, and the desert is the world where racism permeates. The speaker is
lost because there is a dead child who is “dragging his shattered black face.” The face is shattered
due to the violence that the child has been exposed to, and it is unfortunate that the adults, who
are the speaker in this context, cannot do anything to save the situation. the child is also black,
and this shows that the violence that he has been exposed to is tied to his race. These lines bring
the reader into a scene of violence and death. The speaker is being haunted by a dead child in her
sleep. Her sleep is no longer peaceful because her memories are trapped in the incident involving
the brutal and pointless murder of a child. The choice of language is specific to illustrate black
oppression and white power. The poet speaks of the dead child’s “blood” and says that it is the
“only liquid for miles.” The poet “thirsts” for the wetness of the child’s blood. The child’s blood
here symbolizes the black people. The poet speaks on behalf of their plight even as they continue

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to remain insignificant in a white-dominated world. The “whiteness of the desert” symbolizes
white people. They are as vast as the desert. They have taken over and ensured that the black
people are left with no power. The powerlessness of the black community is illuminated in the
second stanza as the poet says that she tries to heal her dying son with kisses. However, not even
the love that black people have for each other is enough to save them from the shackles of
racism.
Further, racism has caused a lot of hatred against black people, and white people have
destroyed their humanity. The poet described the horrific act where a police officer killed a black
man. The police officer stood inhumanely “stood over the boy with his cop shoes.” The poet sees
it necessary to mention that he uses his cop shoes to signify that he uses the power he has over
the boy. He then says in a demeaning way, “Die, you little motherfucker”. Only a heartless
person would do such a thing. The hatred that the white officer has over black people blinds him
completely. He does not care over anyone as long as their skin is black. The black boy is treated
badly because he is black. The black people have no reprieve because, during the trial, the officer
says boldly that he only saw the boy’s color and not even his size. His hatred against black
people did not stop him from killing the boy despite having tapes recording the horrible ordeal.
Such are the effects of racism. It has stripped people of their humanity, and they no longer treat
each other with dignity. During the trial, despite there being evidence, the white officer is set
free. Twelve people, eleven white men and a black woman, had found him innocent. The white
men said that they were satisfied that he did not do anything wrong. They, too, are racist, and the
hatred they have for black people makes them just sit and allow them to get destroyed. They are
determined to use their power to destroy the black race. Racism fuels destruction. The black
woman on the jury was convinced into giving a “not guilty” verdict. While the poet faults her for

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the mistake, she also admits that the pressure was a lot. She writes that they dragged her “over
hot coals of four centuries of white male approval.” The hot coals here symbolize the corrupt
white power. The eleven men had corrupted the black woman and made her relinquish her
power. She, too, joined the oppressors in advancing their hatred against black people. The killing
of the black boy and the corrupted trial process depict a society that hates its own. The white and
black people live in one society, as indicated throughout the poem. However, racism against
black people has made it hard for them to live. The killing of the black boy symbolizes
indiscriminate hatred against this group. They are just hated for being black. It does not matter
whether they abide by the laws or not; they still will not be treated well.
Overall, Lorde writes an impactful poem about racism and how the justice system
perpetuates it as those in power advance white supremacy. The poem is well written, and the
events well narrated. It is a sad poem that depicts a lack of humanity and total disregard for
human life because those in positions of power are blinded by racism. Throughout the analysis, it
is evident that the poet writes from a place of hurt. She is hurt and powerless at the same time.
She feels that there is a lot of injustice against her people, and those in offices of power do not do
anything to help the disadvantaged community. The analysis contrasts rhetoric and poetry. The
use of rhetorical statements in the poem, especially what is used by the officer in court for him to
get free, are just rhetorical statements. These statements carry a “killing spirit” in them. They are
demeaning toward the human race. Poetry fights for humanity. The poet writes about the killing
of the young boy. She speaks against racism and writes in support of humanity. The racist
officers and court officials do not demonstrate any humanity in their actions. They, together with
the black woman, take part in the killing of black children, albeit passively. They are destructive
through the power of their mouths. They set free a murderer; despite there being evidence on

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tape showing that he killed the boy, he is still allowed to walk free. The white people in the poem
allow themselves to show their destructive sides. The poet states that she does not touch on the
destructive side in her. She openly opposes police brutality. She even compares the killing of the
black boy to the raping of an old white woman. Families are afflicted in both incidences. The
analysis exposes the brutality that is perpetuated in racism and provides many reasons why the
vice should be condemned as people embrace humanity. Power is a poem that successfully
addresses the plight of black people in a society where racism is rampant. White supremacy
makes it difficult to defeat the vice as the same people expected to uphold law and justice are
also blinded by racism. It speaks powerfully against racism and emphasizes the need to treat
everyone fairly and not the color of one’s skin determine how they are treated.