Coal is a reflection of Audre Lorde's personal relationship with society and herself as she understands it. This poem is from later in her life, published in 1976 as part of a larger collection called “Coal”. The idea of the title is a reflection of the imagery of the poem. It is written in free verse form.
The poem is written in first person and spoken in the voice of the poet. The racial context and content of this poem as well as the personal pleas found through out make it reflect more of that of a prayer than a dramatic monologue. This poem's purpose is to create the image of the progression from the darkness of the coal to the illumination of the demand that is held within. This also shows Lorde's life story as she struggles with her own self image and discovers her power within her. The poem is composed of three stanzas, much like the body of a standard letter with a short opening and conclusion and the focus or the discovery occurring in the body or middle stanza.
In the poem, the speaker creates an extended metaphor of herself as a piece of coal, also establishing herself and her power in the power of love and self acceptance that is portrayed as openness and diamonds. “Some words are open like a diamond/ on glass windows.” Furthermore, the speaker describes her passions and emotions, “Other know sun/ seeking like gypsies over my tongue/ to explode through my lips.” The idea of the coal/ diamond relationship becomes clear with the illusion to creation in that “I am Black because I come from the earth's inside/ now take my word for jewel in the open light.” While this line supports the creation of diamonds through fire and coal it also reenforces the metaphor of the coal as darkness in that it references the coal coming from inside the earth.
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