Poem Analysis: Coal By Audre Lorde

In the poem "Coal," Audre Lorde explains her understanding of how she interacts with herself then, with the society. She wrote the poem in the first person in a free verse style. In the sentence, "There are many kinds of open"(4), Lorde brings up the ambiguity of human personality. She tries to show how something pure and obvious on the first sight can be complex and unclear at the same time.
Throughout the poem, the author speaks out the issues she has to deal with because of her racial status, her profession, and her sexual orientation. She organizes the poem in three stanzas touching these three different aspects of her life. The first stanza is about her being black, the second is related to the power of the words, then, the third stanza displays her understanding of love. In fact, she explains gradually through her different identities how she transforms her anger and her frustrations into a triumphant self-assertion. The transformation of "coal" into

I avoid as much as possible to have relationships based on stereotypes. For instance, although coming from a homophobic society, I always manage to have a cordial and respectful relationship with my gay colleagues. Moreover, in situations where I felt demeans or diminishes because of my physical appearance or my cultural identity, rather than playing the victim, I always look for ways to appreciate the fact of being different.
Conclusively, this poem of Audrey Lorde shows how the dark coal can be progressively illuminated to the bright and shiny diamond. The verse, "There are many kinds of open"(4), carries a profound message intended to posterity. It speaks of tolerance, curiosity, acceptance of others, and it stigmatizes stereotypes. Therefore, in such a diverse and multicultural society, this sentence would be the solution against discrimination and would lead necessarily a much more harmonious