Introduction
Lucille Clifton is noted for her outstanding ability to say very much using very few words. Her poems are full of life and passion, though hardly any exclamations are used. She uses simple means to express powerful ideas. Proclamation of the need for racial and gender equality, a hymn to love and enthusiasm, an ode to life itself – that is what Clifton’s poems are. She wrote many poetry collections for which she is highly appraised. Clifton’s style is very light, but at the same time, her words are rather impressive. In her creative work, she declares the ideas of benevolence and compassion. She asserts her thoughts with such grace that it is impossible not to be touched by them. In her “homage to my hips” and “won’t you celebrate with me,” Clifton proclaims her ideas of African American women’s beauty and freedom.
Common Features in the Two Poems
What is similar about “homage to my hips” and “won’t you celebrate with me” is the author’s style. In both poems, just like in every other of her pieces of poetry, the author uses no capitalization, and in both of them affirms the idea of freedom. In “homage to my hips,” freedom is reflected through the ability of a woman to stand on her own and to be reckoned with: “these hips are free hips,” “they go where they want to go / they do what they want to do” (Clifton, 1987). In “won’t you celebrate with me,” freedom is proclaimed via aspiration to be independent and not to be afraid: “come celebrate / with me that everyday/something has tried to kill me / and has failed” (Clifton, 1991).
Another similar feature about the poems is that they are both not simply about independence, but about female independence. More particularly, they are about the freedom of African American women. In “won’t you celebrate with me,” the narrator asserts the idea of human dignity. Being “nonwhite and woman” did not prevent her from feeling proud of herself and her life position (Clifton, 1991). The same sense of pride is present in “homage to my hips.” The hips symbolize the women’s strength and their ability to influence the world: “I have known them / to put a spell on a man and / spin him like a top!” (Clifton, 1987). Freedom is also declared through a line “these hips have never been enslaved” (Clifton, 1987). Therefore, both “homage to my hips” and “won’t you celebrate with me” are a proclamation of freedom in a world full of unfairness and discrimination. The author emphasizes the women need to be treated equally and the need of every person to be considered a human.
The absence of capitalization gives the poems a sense of lightness and at the same time reiterates the author’s idea of stating one’s position as one wishes it. Clifton’s point is that the essential things do not need big words to be understood. The absence of capitalization allows the readers to put their own stresses and to decide which parts of poetry produce more impact on them. Both “homage to my hips” and “won’t you celebrate with me” dwell on an important issue of African American women’s position in society, and in both of them the author practices a similar manner and style.
Singularities of the Poems
While “won’t you celebrate with me” and “homage to my hips” has a similar theme, each poem has peculiarities making it different from the other one. Both pieces are about declaring freedom. However, the shades of freedom discussed in the poems are different. “homage to my hips” is focused on a female body and the power of women to impact men, whereas “won’t you celebrate with me” concentrates on broader notions of values and beliefs.
In “homage to my hips,” Clifton speaks of her hips as of a symbol of African American women’s strength and power. She is not ashamed of her hips not corresponding to the usual standards: “they don’t fit into little/petty places” (Clifton, 1987). In fact, she is proud of them as of a distinguishing feature, as of something that makes her matter: “these hips are mighty hips” (Clifton, 1987). Furthermore, the author mentions the power of the female body over the men: “these hips are magic hips,” “I have known them / to put a spell on a man” (Clifton, 1987). The poem is a proclamation of women’s right to be heard disregarding their race, age, or figure. Clifton reminds the readers that every woman is beautiful in her own way, as long as she is ready to face her peculiar beauty.
The other poem evokes more feelings than just females’ freedom. It reflects the author’s ethical values, exclusive intelligence, and profound wisdom. She “had no model” for her creation, but nevertheless is inviting the audience to celebrate what she has “shaped into / a kind of life” (Clifton, 1991). Instead of encouraging the readers to praise wealth or success, Clifton invites them to honor human dignity: “born in Babylon / both nonwhite and woman / what did I see to be except myself? / i made it up” (Clifton, 1991). Babylon here is a symbol of a prosperous but immoral civilization. By making a parallel to Babylon, the narrator expresses her disrespect to an unnatural society in which people live. Clifton mentions that she has no one to rely upon, finding support only in herself: “here on this bridge between / starshine and clay, / my one hand holding tight / my other hand” (Clifton, 1991). This poem is not only about women or a particular race. It is about the sense of dignity in every person. Only honorable people no not give up and can say about themselves, “everyday / something has tried to kill me / and has failed” (Clifton, 1991).
Conclusion
Lucille Clifton’s “won’t you celebrate with me” and “homage to my hips” are brilliant examples of poetry and freedom manifestation. The poems have a lot of things in common: the author’s manner of writing, main idea, and proclamation of the core human values. At the same time, each piece has peculiar features which bring about different emotions and reaction. “homage to my hips” evokes the sense of female pride and remind the audience that every woman is beautiful no matter what standards are set by fashion. “won’t you celebrate with me” concentrates on emphasizing human dignity and the importance of being genuine and sincere. Both similar and divergent features of “homage to my hips” and “won’t you celebrate with me” evoke the audience’s compassion and make people contemplate their life values. Clifton is fantastic at reminding her readers that the first and foremost duty of every individual is to be humane and never let anyone take away his or her freedom.
References
Clifton, L. (1987). homage to my hips. Web.
Clifton, L. (1991). won’t you celebrate with me. Web.