‘Spellman’ refers to a private college in the U.S, exclusively for black women. Divided into six parts, this poem goes through a healing process for black identity, moving from the present to the past. It was especially “A Love Song for Spellman” that had this mixed effect on me.
This vacillation between immersing and distancing myself from the writing continued on throughout the rest of the poems. AND PUT MEAT ON MY SOULĪny connections that I had at the beginning of this extended poem were immediately broken because I could not understand these last lines and read them as the author’s personal cathartic outlet, one which was illegible and separate from me. Yet, the last few lines suddenly broke any bonds that I’d formed with the writing, alienating me through their somewhat undecipherable meaning: I shall gather up his moans, words, outbursts, wrap them in blue tissue paper get to know them watch them grow in importance. I found myself feeling very sympathetic towards the wife, her language exposes her desperation as she expresses her need to gather what she can from her husband: Sanchez further illustrates his separation from his wife, employing redundant references to transportation as a metaphor for his constant state of departure. Limited Liability.) That’s why you missed me at the airport.
I was able to feel the husband’s estrangement with lines such as: For example, the husband’s tone slowly becomes more mechanical, conveying his further distancing from his wife. The voice, as the mind, often becomes rich in caesura, revealing its broken and damaged state.
Structurally, this offered me a connection to the writing, as I experienced the uninhibited emotions of these characters, projected through Sanchez’s exploration of ‘natural’ voice.
SONIA SANCHEZ SERIES
It was set up as a series of internal, private, monologues between husband and wife, the narrative taking its course as the husband admits to infidelity. Initially, this poem invited me in, allowing me to immerse myself in the emotion. The first poem (also entitled) ‘Wounded in the House of a Friend’ offered me a clear image of pain. Considering her signature ‘separatist’ style, she at times uses language and voice to alienate the Caucasian/male reader rather than inviting them in. This may have possibly been Sanchez’s desired effect. Overall, Sanchez’s poetry seemed to distance itself from the white/male reader, often only speaking to its target audience (black women). Yet, oddly enough, this title is somewhat contradicted by the actual content of the book. It suggests a powerful image of universal pain, one which is clearly readable regardless of race and gender. This is what probably struck me about Wounded in the House of a Friend(1995 ),unlike Sanchez’s previous works, the title in itself speaks to anyone. With previous works such as I’ve been a Woman: New and Selected Poems(1978) and A Blues Book for Blue Black Magical Women(1973) It becomes clear that Sonia Sanchez writes for African American females. Her poetry proudly establishes black identity through an assessment of its present, past, and future state. Influenced by the movement of Malcolm X, she focuses on what sets her race apart and embraces that.
Sanchez explores her identity as an African American woman through a separatist lens. Sonia Sanchez is best known for her strong stance on race and gender this is the heart of her poetry.
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