A textual analysis in to Grace Nichols' poem 'The Fat Black Woman Composes a Black Poem'

Content Warning: Mentions of Slavery and Rape

Grace Nichols’ persona of The Fat Black Women is used to not only uplift black women and the black community but to also show their history. This in turn, shows the anger and injustices they unfairly live through and face on a day-to-day basis. In the poem ‘The Fat Black Woman Composes a Black Poem...’ (Nichols, p. 14-15) in her published collection The Fat Black Woman’s Poems (1984) we can see her attempt of reclaiming the use of ‘black’ (Line, 1) and changing the narrative surrounding it into something that should be loved and celebrated while accompanying her own history and culture.

This poem creates a regular rhyming scheme with the final word of each stanza. This rhythmic pattern almost rolls of the tongue making it easy to read, this is done to keep the message clear and easy to remember, additionally, by keeping the rhythm steady means there can be room for more, more history to be written, more to be celebrated, more that needs to be said. However, there is a break within the rhythm, where the regular rhyme breaks and the overall tone of the poem shifts. The first two stanzas make the reader comfortable the rhythm only for it to broken suddenly. This can imply a likeness to the sudden uprooting of slaves’ lives. The tone surrounding the first three stanzas is dark, words like ‘intrusion’ (Line, 1) and ‘blackness’ (Line, 5) sets the overall tone of the start of the slave trade, bleak and forceful.

 Breaking the rhythm can be seen as a pause without additional punctuation, it is a moment of silent for those fallen as a result of the slave trade, a moment of reflection. Interestingly, this happens early within the poem, not even halfway through, this can be interpreted as black history paralleling the poetic voice as she recites the poem. 

The following stanza shifts the tone to a lighter and more hopeful tone, she shows ‘black’ (Line, 8) as ‘sweet’ (Line, 7) and shows the ‘beauty’ (Line, 10) within her life. This can be seen as a response to generational trauma and what she must do to heal whilst also paralleling more modern struggles.

The lack of punctuation demonstrates emotion is running freely through the poem whilst also uplifting the struggle of the Fat Black Woman. There is no time to stop and reflect before continuing to the next simile, this is just an aspect that always takes up room within the Fat Black Woman’s mind. Additionally, the use of having short stanzas can also present this idea. The adoption of short stanzas shows the poetic voices thoughts as straight to the point, leaving no room to elaborate or explain herself, it reinforces the reclamation of the word 'black’ (Lines 1-16). Moreover, it is interesting that the layout of the poem within ‘The Fat Black Woman’s Poems’ (1984), the last stanza is presented on a separate page, at the very top, therefore leaving space for the poem to continue, as if almost inviting the reader to continue.

There is a recurring number of syllables in each stanza, six out of the eight small stanzas contain an even ten syllables thus reinforcing the steady the rhythm throughout. This is then disrupted, firstly in the fifth stanza and secondly in the eighth, with both stanzas having eleven syllables. Within the fifth stanza she mentions her ‘ancestors’ (Line, 10), the extra syllable can be seen as an act of respect towards them, needing more time to reflect on their life. It is seen again when she pays respect again to her culture when mentioning the ‘reggae sunsplash’ (Line, 16) a type of widely listened to Jamaican music. She uses the extra syllable as a way of celebrating those close to her.

The anaphoric use of ‘black’ (Lines, 1-16) to start each stanza reinforces the reclamation of the word for the Fat Black Woman. Repetition builds the emotion behind the poem. Each stanza ends with stressed syllables to draw your attention to each individual message except for the tone shift which was done purposefully to add discomfort. Each stanza is a simile the Fat Black Woman creates. The repetitive nature of the simile in each short stanza emphasises the intention of using the word ‘black’ (Lines, 1-16), a word that has been used in harsh way towards the black community and reclaiming it as something beautiful to uplift it. She switches the narrative of the word ‘black’ (Lines, 1-16) to love not only herself but her history and culture, this can be seen when talking about her ‘ancestors bread’ (Line, 12) or ‘nappy head’ (Line, 10). The similes also show a deeper insight to the black culture with subjects that a non-person of colour would understand, for example I will never know the delicate care of looking after a ‘nappy head’ (Line, 10).

The comparison in the starting stanza is described as an ‘intrusion’ (Line, 1). An ‘intrusion’ (Line, 1) suggests something that is forced. The use of ‘wet’ (Line, 2) in her phrase ‘rude wet tongue’ (Line, 2) adds an almost repulsive feel to the stanza thus starting the uncomfortable tone of the poem. The ‘rude wet tongue’ (Line, 2) is a way of describing white language. A language that slaves would’ve had to learn hence their own language being intruded on. The second stanza talks of ‘boldness’ (Line, 3) which parallels bravery. The bravery of escaping the clutches of the slave owners. The use of a ‘quick home run’ (Line, 4) can poke fun of the escape, making it sound almost easy, whilst simultaneously showing the courage it would take to complete this impossible task. There is also sexual connotation behind ‘a quick home run’ (Line, 9). A ‘home run’ (Line, 9) is also seen as not only having sexual intercourse but almost like you’re scoring it. By adding ‘quick’ (Line, 9) it removes all thoughts of pleasure and consent behind it which can only be seen as rape, something that the enslaved, men and women alike, would’ve horribly gone through.

Leading up to the third stanza the tone of the poem has been getting and darker with the pinnacle residing in this stanza. This is the only time within the poem that the fat black woman compares ‘black’ (Line, 5) to itself in a negative way. ‘Black as the blackness’ (Line, 5), the lowest of the low, using her own skin colour to show the darkest point in her ‘ancestors’ (Line, 10) lives. The imagery of ‘a rolling ship’ (Line, 6) perfectly pictures of the horrific conditions on board slave ships, dark and brooding. Using ‘rolling ship’ (Line 6) can also show that this was continuous. It is not coincidental this is the stanza that starts the break in the rhythmic rhyming pattern. The direct mention of slaves brings the poem rhythm to a standstill and in doing so makes the reader reflect. Having this comparison early within the poem shows how the stanzas are paralleling the history and the struggles of the Fat Black Woman’s ancestors. In a stark contrast to the third stanza, the fourth talks of the ‘sweetness of black orchid milk’ (Lines, 7-8). By using ‘sweetness’ (Line, 7) the tone starts to lift slowly signalling the start of generational healing. However, still making the reader pause as this is only beginning of years of healing as the rhythm and rhyming scheme has yet to fix itself. It is important to point out that these two stanzas are the only two to mention ‘black’ (Lines, 5 – 8) twice within the short simile.

The fifth and sixth stanza becomes more personal. The poetic voice speaks of her own experiences personally. In the fifth stanza the poem switches to a first-person perspective, the anger behind ‘my ancestors’ (Line, 10) adds a deeper understanding to what it is like to be her and knowing what your own ancestors had to go through, after all another step towards healing is acceptance. The sixth stanza is possibly the happiest tone of the poem. She shows the ‘beauty’ (Line, 11) of a ‘nappy head’(Line, 12) which is the opposite of western beauty standards and yet she is still here celebrating it.

Lastly, the final stanzas present a calming tone. There is a serene feel to ‘blueness’ (Line, 13), the calm after the metaphorical storm, and a familiarity with a ‘spraying’ (Line, 15). The difference between the beginning of the poem to now is vast, in only eight short stanzas the Fat Black Woman has taken us through her ancestors’ history and finishes with ‘reggae sunsplash’ (Line, 16), widely celebrated and listened to music created in Africa. Although Grace Nichols has finished the poem here the empty space underneath the final stanza is inviting other to continue, for more history to be written.

The overall argument of this poem is to reclaim the use of black whilst subtly educating the reader of black history. Each stanza gives an insight to the culture surrounding the black community and the deep history within it. After years of black being used in a derogatory way this poem shows The Fat Black Woman using it proudly. Furthermore, the education system now teaches the horrors slavery, so I was quick to get the small links towards the slavery, however it did take a while to realise that this poem corresponds with history, despite this, there is a familiar feeling surrounding the poem, but I believe that this was done purposefully to help push her own agender further. Inconclusion, Nichols successfully reclaims black within the poem and pushes her own agender through The Fat Black Woman persona.

Work Cited: 

Nichols, Grace, The Fat Black Woman Composes a Black Poem, in The Fat Black Woman’s Poems, London: Virago, 1984, pp. 14-15