Complete Poetry Analysis for BOTH Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde & Teenagers by Pat Mora.
Hanging Fire
BY AUDRE LORDE
I am fourteen
and my skin has betrayed me
the boy I cannot live without
still sucks his thumb
in secret
how come my knees are
always so ashy
what if I die
before morning
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.
I have to learn how to dance
in time for the next party
my room is too small for me
suppose I die before graduation
they will sing sad melodies
but finally
tell the truth about me
There is nothing I want to do
and too much
that has to be done
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Nobody even stops to think
about my side of it
I should have been on Math Team
my marks were better than his
why do I have to be
the one
wearing braces
I have nothing to wear tomorrow
will I live long enough
to grow up
and momma's in the bedroom
with the door closed.
Teenagers
One day they disappear
into their rooms.
Doors and lips shut
and we become strangers
in our own home.
I pace the hall, hear whispers,
a code I knew but can't remember,
mouthed by mouths I taught to speak.
Years later the door opens.
I see faces I once held,
open as sunflowers in my hands. I see
familiar skin now stretched on long bodies
that move past me
glowing almost like pearls.
— Pat Mora
"Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde is a poem that explores the anxieties and thoughts of a fourteen-year-old girl. The poem is written in the first person, allowing the reader to glimpse into the mind of the speaker and experience her inner turmoil.
The poem begins with the speaker expressing their dissatisfaction with their physical appearance, particularly their ashy knees and the presence of braces. This reflects the self-consciousness and insecurity often experienced during adolescence. The speaker also mentions a boy they have feelings for who still sucks his thumb in secret. This serves to highlight the immaturity and innocence of both characters at this stage of their lives.
The speaker's thoughts turn to their mortality, expressing the fear of dying before morning. This fear is further exacerbated by the fact that their mother is in the bedroom with the door closed, implying a lack of emotional support or communication. The speaker yearns for guidance and connection, but feels isolated and neglected.
The poem then delves into the speaker's desire for social acceptance and the pressure to conform. They express the need to learn how to dance, implying a desire to fit in at social gatherings. The size of their room is also mentioned, suggesting a feeling of being trapped or confined. The fear of not living long enough to graduate and the potential melancholy surrounding their death further emphasizes their anxieties and desire for validation.
The speaker then voices their frustration at being overlooked and misunderstood by those around them. They express resentment at not being chosen for the Math Team, despite having better grades than someone else. This highlights the speaker's sense of injustice and a desire to be recognized for their accomplishments and abilities.
The poem ends with the speaker's lament of having nothing to wear the next day, further emphasizing their sense of disconnect and unpreparedness for the future. The repetition of the mother being in the bedroom with the door closed suggests a lack of emotional availability from a parental figure.
Overall, "Hanging Fire" provides a glimpse into the untold thoughts and fears of a young girl on the cusp of adulthood. It delves into themes of insecurity, yearning for validation and connection, and the overwhelming pressure to conform to societal expectations.
"Teenagers" by Pat Mora explores the theme of the disconnect between parents and their teenage children. The poem captures the experience of a parent realizing that their children have become strangers in their own home.
The poem begins with the narrator observing their children disappearing into their rooms. The closed doors and lips symbolize the emotional barriers that have formed between the parent and their children. The once close bond and familiarity have been replaced by distance and silence.
The narrator paces the hall, yearning to regain the connection they once had with their children. They allude to a forgotten code, a language that once united them, but has now been lost. The nostalgia and longing for the past shows the deep desire for closeness and understanding between parent and child.
Years later, the door finally opens, and the parent is reintroduced to their children who have now grown into young adults. They are described as having familiar faces, but with unfamiliar skin stretched on long bodies. This imagery conveys the physical and emotional changes that occur during adolescence and how the parent must adjust to these transformations.
Despite the strangeness, there is a sense of beauty and radiance surrounding the children, described as glowing almost like pearls. This signifies the growth and maturity that has taken place, highlighting the resilience and potential of young adults.
In conclusion, "Teenagers" explores the theme of the growing divide between parents and their teenage children. It showcases the longing and hope for reconnection, even after years of distance. The poem highlights the complexities of parent-child relationships and the transformative power of time.