Audre Lorde’s 1977 essay “Poetry Is Not A Luxury” speaks to the centrality of literature in social reform work in a (predictably beautiful) manner. Poetry is not a luxury. But it’s as if this piece entered my life at just the right moment–when the lesson was ripe for the learning. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action. She also exalts it … "Poetry is Not a Luxury" For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. Summary Last Updated on August 5, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. It forms the quality of light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams towards survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action. In the paragraph from which the title is drawn, she writes: “…poetry is not a luxury. She refers to the human inner voice as “magic,” emphasizing its … In Poetry Is Not a Luxury, Audre Lorde seeks to define poetry as something vital and necessary to the human (especially female) condition rather than a leisure activity. To Lorde, poetry is the essence of womanhood, and the feelings poetry is so easily able to express are a direct link to ancient society. It is a vital necessity of our existence. A couple of weeks ago, for one of my English classes, we read an essay called “Poetry is Not a Luxury,” written by famed African-American poet and activist Audre Lorde. Yes, I’m a bit late to the game. A few days ago, I read Audre Lorde’s essay, Poetry Is Not a Luxury.Yes, I know it’s a classic. For women, then, poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. In "Poetry Is Not a Luxury," she talks about the power of poetry to help one understand oneself. In her essay, Poetry Is Not a Luxury, Audre Lorde, the Caribbean-American writer, poet, radical feminist, lesbian, and civil rights activist, describes an often overlooked yet necessary process in community and equitable development: Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so that it can be thought. Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought. The essay was a remarkable work of poetic theory: a genre in itself. Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches Summary; Character List; Glossary; Themes; Quotes and Analysis; Summary And Analysis. “Poetry Is Not a Luxury” August 2005 In “Poetry Is Not a Luxury,” Audre Lorde weaves poetry and feminist theory together. Sister Outsider is a collection of essays and speeches by Audre Lorde, a black lesbian feminist more widely known for her poetry. 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