Informal diction represents the plain language of everyday use, and often includes exaggerations, slang, and many simple, common words. Audre Lorde used this common technique to develop a close rapport with the reader through the use of ordinary language, which most people can understand and relate to. "I am fourteen," (ll. 1) here Audre Lorde did not hesitate to use the first line to introduce the speaker and to construct a more personal, intimate relationship with the reader. The use of first person here suggests a direct monologue, which the speaker is describing her problems with reader. In this same quotation another question is revealed about whom exactly is the speaker. Since Audre Lorde was 44 years old

Along with the informal diction, tone is used to create meaning in poetry. Audre Lorde used her diction to indicate the serious tone in "Hanging Fire." Lorde used a serious tone to enforce that this poem was to be taken sincerely. "My skin has betrayed me" (ll. 2) indicates not that the skin appears displeasing but that it is displeasing. This also reveals that the tone is confident. This confident tone appears throughout the stanzas: "I cannot live without" (ll. 3) instead of "I would rather not live without", "I have nothing to wear" (ll. 31) instead of "I do not have much to wear", "my room is too small" (ll. 15) instead "my room is a little small". The word choice here is very demanding. This confident, serious tone remains the same throughout out the poem, however, there is a shift in tone through each of the three stanzas.

Along with the quick introduction to the speaker, Audre Lorde used very little punctuation in this poem to emphasize the variation of the worries of teenagers. The quick jump between subjects from "the boy...(who) / still sucks his thumb / in secret" (ll. 3-5) to "knees (which) are / always ashy" (ll. 6-7) suggests that the speaker is brainstorming about her concerns. The second and third stanza are similar to the first in the listing of concerns from dancing to room size to death to her mom to the math team to braces to clothing and then back to death and her mother. The way that this poem is constructed stresses that the girl has many worries and that she needs to express them.

Another message that Audre Lorde wanted to signify was that li

Some common words found in the essay are:
Audre Lorde, Fire Lorde, , Hanging Fire, audre lorde, hanging fire, serious tone, speaker audre lorde, skin betrayed ll, live ll, ll 3, speaker audre, informal diction, skin betrayed, betrayed ll, sucks thumb /, reader feels, live ll 3, / secret ll,
Approximate Word count = 1077
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)