Lineage
Margaret Walker’s poem ‘‘Lineage’’ presents a
perfect example of her writing style, demonstrat-
ing how well she can tell a story filled with emo-
tion without seemingly expressing sorrow. In
this poem, Walker focuses on the women of
her ancestry who blazed a trail for her. These
women, Walker states several times, were filled
with strength. They worked through their hard-
ships without allowing the torture of slavery to
bring them down.
Walker, a black woman who bore her own
challenges because of her race and sex, has often
been praised for her strength, yet in this poem, she
questions why she is not as formidable as her
grandmothers. This final question is not answered,
leaving the reader to ponder what the poet means.
Walker has stated that although she addresses
her grandmothers in this poem, she meant for
the poem to have a universal element. The grand-
mothers in the poem, then,belong to everyone. In
other words, she dedicates this poem to all women
who lived and toiled before even the youngest of
generations of this century. This is a poem dedi-
catedtohumanity’sancestry.
‘‘Lineage’’ is not considered to be among
Walker’s greatest poems, but it is one of the more
popular. The language is simple enough for an
elementary-school studentto grasp, and the images
are easily envisioned. The depth of meaning and
emotion, however, increase for readers who have
gained experience with their own feelings and can144
MARGARET WALKER
1942