--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: June Jordan once said something which is…" description: "\"June Jordan once said something which is just wonderful. I'm paraphrasing her-that her function as a poet was to make revolution irresistible. Well o.k..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_art_june-jordan-once-said-something-which-is_1917425.jpg" --- # June Jordan once said something which is just wonderful… ![“June Jordan once said something which is just wonderful. I'm paraphrasing her-that her function as a poet was to make revolution irresistible. Well o.k. that is the function of us all, as creative artists, to make the truth, as we see it irresistible.” quote by Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_art_june-jordan-once-said-something-which-is_1917425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_art_june-jordan-once-said-something-which-is_1917425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_art_june-jordan-once-said-something-which-is_1917425.jpg) > “June Jordan once said something which is just wonderful. I'm paraphrasing her-that her function as a poet was to make revolution irresistible. Well o.k. that is the function of us all, as creative artists, to make the truth, as we see it irresistible.” [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry should be a revolutionary force that makes truth compelling and irresistible. **In simple terms:** Poetry must make truth compelling. Key Takeaway Use art to make truth irresistible. Themes art revolution truth poetry Mood inspirational provocative Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - activism Key Concepts social change creative expression political activism Questions to Reflect On - How can artists keep their work radical? - What makes truth irresistible? A Different Perspective Art may be co‑opted by mainstream. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-art/) [Creative artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-artists/) [June](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/june/) [Paraphrasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paraphrasing/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/the-role-of-the-artist-is-to-make-the-revolution-irresistible/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [The job of the writer is to make revolution irresistible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/the-job-of-the-writer-is-to-make-revolution-irresistible/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [“As a culture worker who belongs to an oppressed people my job is to make revolution irresistible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/as-a-culture-worker-who-belongs-to-an-oppressed-people-my-job-is-to/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [We can’t sit back and celebrate Martin King and ask when will there be another like him. No, no my dear young friends. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-harding/we-can-t-sit-back-and-celebrate-martin-king-and-ask-when-will-there/) Vincent Harding > [June Jordan, who died of cancer in 2002, was a brilliant, fierce, radical, and frequently furious poet. We were friends for thirty years. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/june-jordan-who-died-of-cancer-in-2002-was-a-brilliant-fierce-radical/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“The question of what kind of a thing a text or poem is now becomes a function neither of what the poet might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ashton/the-question-of-what-kind-of-a-thing-a-text-or-poem-is-now-becomes-a/) [Jennifer Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ashton/) > [“To my way of thinking the function of the poet is to make us aware of what we know and don't know we know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/to-my-way-of-thinking-the-function-of-the-poet-is-to-make-us-aware-of/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“In our society of fixed texts and printed words, it is the function of the poet to see the life value of the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/in-our-society-of-fixed-texts-and-printed-words-it-is-the-function-of/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [An artist represents an oppressed people and makes revolution irresistible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/an-artist-represents-an-oppressed-people-and-makes-revolution/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [“it is the function of a poet to relate not things that have happened, but things that may happen,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/it-is-the-function-of-a-poet-to-relate-not-things-that-have-happened/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Flannery O'Connor ... points out that 'a story really isn't good unless it successfully resists paraphrase. ...' ... 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Paraphrasing from the well-known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/undoubtedly-our-path-is-not-of-the-easiest-but-just-as-undoubtedly-we/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Well, it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write And kind of turn themselves into knives And don't mind my nerve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/well-it-kind-of-hurts-when-the-kind-of-words-you-write-and-kind-of/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [As Aristotle wrote a long, long time ago, and I'm paraphrasing here, the goal is to avoid mediocrity by being prepared to try something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/as-aristotle-wrote-a-long-long-time-ago-and-i-m-paraphrasing-here-the/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [I love Thich Nhat Hahn. One of my favorite quotes of his (and I’m paraphrasing), he’s talking about cultivating happiness, and he was saying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-love-thich-nhat-hahn-one-of-my-favorite-quotes-of-his-and-i-m/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) ## More by Audre Lorde > [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [There are many kinds of open. . . Love is a word, another kind of open. . . Take my word for jewel in your open light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-are-many-kinds-of-open-love-is-a-word-another-kind-of-open-take/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Your silence will not protect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [I can't really define it in sexual terms alone although our sexuality is so energizing why not enjoy it too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-can-t-really-define-it-in-sexual-terms-alone-although-our-sexuality/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-once-we-begin-to-feel-deeply-all-the-aspects-of-our-lives-we/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [the fear of death is that you are dying too soon. 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If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/poetry-is-not-only-dream-and-vision-it-is-the-skeleton-architecture/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“I think that in America there are certain kinds of problems and in Russia there are certain kinds of problems, but basically, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-think-that-in-america-there-are-certain-kinds-of-problems-and-in/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. 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Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/how-a-diamond-comes-into-a-knot-of-flame-how-a-sound-comes-into-a/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) [Explore all 377 Audre Lorde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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