Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
Line 7
Doing nothing was the doing:
- For those of you who have been waiting for action, here it is. Okay, okay, it might seem a little underwhelming.
- But, before you write it off, consider two things:
1. The repetition in "Doing nothing was the doing" makes your ear do a double take, if nothing else. And because she's pointing out that "nothing" is the action, it's a little bit of a brain twister like some of the previous lines (2 and 3).
2. Nothing isn't nothing in this case. By doing "nothing," Dove means not giving up her seat to a white person. She means refusing. She means standing up for herself. She means standing up for every African-American who ever had to give up his or her rights. She means civil disobedience. In this case "nothing" is a whole lot of something.
Lines 8–9
The clean flame of her gaze
carved by a camera flash.
- Here come the paparazzi. Here Dove paints the picture of Parks getting her picture taken by all the press her "doing nothing" had attracted.
- Up until now, Dove has described Parks using words that bring up quiet, small, and humble associations. But now she introduces the "clean flame of her gaze" that's been "carved by a camera flash." That sounds much sharper, and much more intense than the previous descriptions. Dove's letting us see the fire (note the "flame") inside of Parks that helped her stand her ground.
- The speaker uses alliteration in these two lines. The repetition of the beginning hard C sound in "clean," "carved," and "camera" is echoed by the repetition of the beginning F sound in "flame" and "flash." It's as if these lines enact what they're talking about: one takes a picture to repeat an image (or sound) of the other. (Hit up "Sound Check" for more on the use of sound in this poem.)
- So far, in very few lines, Dove has been able to paint a complex picture of Rosa Parks: she's someone humble and quiet, but also very strong and powerful. Don't underestimate this lady!