Words Against Inequity The poem, “A Woman Speaks” by Audre Lorde is a both a confessional and identity poem. She is not only addressing her internal battle and self-suffering, but also discussing the societal inequities African American women were suffering in the United States. The poem’s diction, on the surface, produces a tranquil tone to the poem. This facet of tranquility in the poem is used to express how her battle against inequity will not be fought with violence or hatred, and how she is not blaming any specific party or institution for her personal suffering. She instead plans to use the power and beauty of words to communicate the flaws of the image of women, fight against injustice and racism, and alleviate her internal despair. “A Woman Speaks” by Audre Lorde is an anthem for African American women and uses vivid imagery, ancestral references, and a call to action to connect to the reader and enact a fight against the underrepresentation of African American women. The imagery in the first stanza of “A Woman Speaks” is used to address the unfortunate position black woman are in and inform them of how to fight inequity and bolster the feminist movement. She begins the poem with the, “Moon marked and touched by sun/my magic is unwritten” (line 1-2). She is using the visual beauty of the moon and sun to refer to the beauty and mysteriousness of African American women. This type of magical beauty is not a new concept and can be seen in many other aspects