Aging is the primary motif of “Quilts.” Discussing the act of aging is a bold move in poetry—and art in general—as the elderly are excluded from the mainstream definitions of beauty and artistic subjecthood. Ageism—or discrimination against people based on their age—remains prevalent in many areas of society. This poem treats age with tenderness. In fact, the speaker wants to help “some child” or “some old person” (Lines 19-20) warm up with her words.

Giovanni herself embraces her elder poet status in a New York Times interview from 2020: “I recommend old age,” she said. “There’s just nothing as wonderful as knowing you have done your job” (Harris 2). Because her poetry accomplished its aims, she can keep adding to her legacy through new work, and she continues to pass on her wisdom to the next generation of writers through teaching; she enjoys the benefits of age. This poem asks the reader to accept themselves as they age and accept a new purpose when it presents itself.

A quilt is a blanket sewn together from multiple patches or patterns. Multiple people can make the patches. When the patches are put together, they represent how the people that made each patch come together in one piece of art.