![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() While Christianity’s laws and stories underlie her moral universe, Clifton avoids the pulpit. Formal innovations (gapping, use of lower-case throughout, etc) seem an almost shy gesture of resistance to poetic self-importance.ĭespite the terseness, these poems invite consent and empathy. Her poetic figures are plain, apt and hardworking. Some are humorous, others tell “terrible stories” of loss, pain and illness, but, however intense the theme, Clifton’s manner avoids intricate self-searching or philosophising. But Clifton, one of the pioneers in the genre, favours unusually short, sharp “snapshots” of a moment. Superficially, the political ideals and human experiences it voices have been the focus of much 20th and 21st century African American poetry. The poetry of Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) is unlike anyone else’s. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |