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Manuel E Lopez
Prof. Ellen Pratt
INGL3104
April 13, 2015
Turning Madness Into Flowers
Alice Walker is an African-American poet, author, writer who participated in the
Civil Rights Movement. By her past and work we can see how she is a strong woman in
which her themes would resemble that in her work. Turning Madness Into Flowers is
without a doubt related to a loss of a close relative. Her poem can be directed to a certain
ancestor or person who she dearly loved. The author chooses her words wisely by
comparing sorrow and grief. The poem can be divided in three parts. At the beginning,
she faces whats called the negation state. For a time she cannot handle the loss of this
loved one and compares her sorrow of being way deep inside of her. Saying, If my
sorrow were deeper I'd be, along with you, under the ocean's floor. She later compares
her sorrow with what her ancestors had gone through, but today I learn that the oil that
pools beneath the ocean floor is essence residue, remains of all our relations all our
ancestors who have died and turned to oil, maybe referring to slavery. The key part here
is how she brings this up calling it eons ago as if it was history, that can only be
remember if brought up by recent events.
Further on, at the middle of the poem she faces the point of no return, We've
always belonged to them. Speaking for you, hanging, weeping, over the water's edge
as well as for myself. At this point she is at her deepest. She can choose to keep
going deeper or to face whats in front of her or to fall into the easiest path. Some
interpretation can be made in terms of where she places herself. She uses words like
hanging and at the waters edge as if implying she is in a bridge, maybe thinking of
suicide. At this part I chose a better scenario, maybe she is at the bridge, but right in the
middle. She can either turn back into the deep and easier path or go forward.

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She later chooses to face what now she calls grief. Using this grief, she now sees
where she could end up; what she calls the bottom of things. She chose to use this grief
and not end up at her worst. She faces her reality and accepts to go forward. The grief
will bring her home.
In conclusion we see how Alice Walker expresses her grief and deep feelings
toward death. Yet she finalizes her poem with the idea that it is what bring us home. I
believe it is a poem in which symbolizes her vulnerable side but at well as strength. Most
of her topics in writing are related to this situation in which the main character or topic
presents a certain tough situation. Topics that she could have relate to since she was born
in a time in which blacks didnt have equality.