1936–2010
Lucille
Clifton was an African-American poet, writer, and educator from Buffalo, New
York.
Clifton
was awarded a scholarship to Howard University. She was the first person in her
family to attend college. She decided to major in drama. After two years she
lost her scholarship due to poor grades. At that time, she told her father,
"I don't need that stuff. I'm going to write poems. I can do what I want
to do!" It was at this point when Clifton journey to writing poems began.
Lucille Clifton's work emphasizes endurance and strength through adversity,
focusing particularly on African-American experience and family life.
Her
first complete book of poems, Good Times, was published in 1969. Her first
children's book, Some of the Days of Everett Anderson in 1970 launched her into
writing children's stories. Many of her children's books, were written
expressly for an African American audience.
Lucille's
poetry is straightforward. Her poems contain compassion and a high level of
emotion. Her African roots and her personal history have become the basis of
her writing. Other common themes include family life, racism, gender issues
death, birth, and religion.
The
Photograph: A Lynching
is
it the cut glass
of
their eyes
looking
up toward
the
new gnarled branch
of
the black man
hanging
from a tree?
is
it the white milk pleated
collar
of the woman
smiling
toward the camera,
her
fingers loose around
a
christian cross drooping
against
her breast?
is
it all of us
captured
by history into an
accurate
album? will we be
required
to view it together
under
a gathering sky?
Lucille
Clifton
Lucille Clifton seems very interesting and I'm excited to hear more about her! She sounds like a strong, female writer who wrote for many good causes.
ReplyDeleteThe poem has such strength behind the questioning of how others perceive the act of violence and hatred. How it is captured as a celebratory moment defined by hatred and aggression yet the remnant remains in the present moment as social unrest.
ReplyDeleteI think the overall theme of the poem is extremely bold of the poet to put into a poem. Lucille Clifton seems passionate, stubborn, and emotional about her work. When I read the poem, I could clearly imagine this horrific scene from some of the images I have seen throughout my American History course in high school. I think she takes on a neglected topic. Many people would like to forget the lynching that happened in America, but it did happen, and we need to be held accountable for these terrible actions.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is very powerful. I love that she is a straight forward and honest and holds so many emotions with her work.
ReplyDelete