Feminism wasn't just a political position for Audre Lorde; it was a way of life. In her poetry, she represented the voices of many different types of women, many of whom had been silenced by patriarchal society. Lorde gave voice to black women, lesbians, poor women, and, in "Hanging Fire," a young teenaged woman.
In doing so, Lorde claimed that all lives—even the lives of teenage girls—were valuable and worthy of attention. This may not seem like a revolutionary move today (we have tons of teenage girls in literature, of course), but that's partly because of the work of Audre Lorde. By giving voice to the 14-year-old speaker of "Hanging Fire," Lorde cleared the way for other writers to take the lives, stories, hopes, fears, and dreams of teenagers seriously. Check out "A Woman Speaks" and "Sisters in Arms" for more groundbreaking examples of her work.