Hanginf Fire by Audre Lorde?

Question

Anyone read this poem? What does the title have to do with the poem? I have searched and searched on the web and cant find anything!!! I pretty much understand the poem itself, just not the title! Thanks anyone!!

Additional Details

Sorry...Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

The internal structures of the poem do not readily delineate the meaning of its title, "Hanging Fire." "Hanging Fire" or "holding" is an idiom, which means delaying, as in the delay between the firing of a gun and its explosion (Norton). Consider the predicament of the speaker, who is afraid that the truth about her will be revealed when she dies. She does not know when she will die, or how much time will pass, and there is "too much/ that has to be done" according to the second stanza (lines 20-21 ). In essence, she is "holding" fire. How much time will pass before her gun or "the truth" will explode? The answer to this question lies not in the speaker's literal death, but in the death of her silence. She must resolve to identify all the parts of herself, especially that which she has kept hidden, not only from the reader, but possibly from herself.

<by Zahra Johnson>
@ http://www.spelman.edu/bush-hewlett/link…
(click on the title)

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Asker's Comment:

OMG I luv u!!! I couldn't even find an analysis on this poem, it was hard to do my own! I did get the puberty part though! This is more than what I am looking for and you have made me the happiest person in the world today!! If I could give you 100 points I would! Thanks 100 times!!!!