Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Telling Our Stories" by Lucille Clifton is a thought-provoking exploration of fear, storytelling, and the transformative power of narrative. This poem, emblematic of Clifton's ability to weave complex themes with simplicity and depth, uses the metaphor of a nightly visit from a fox to delve into the human condition, our fears, and the innate need to share and confront our stories. Through this encounter between the speaker and the fox, Clifton touches on the essence of storytelling as a means of understanding ourselves and the world around us.

The poem begins with a fox coming to the speaker's door every evening, a gesture that is met with fear rather than curiosity or welcome. The fox, a creature often associated with cunning and mystery in folklore, represents something unknown and potentially enlightening, yet the speaker's initial reaction is to remain "trapped" by fear. This fear is not of the animal itself but of what it symbolizes: the unknown, the aspects of ourselves we are afraid to confront, and the stories we hesitate to tell.

Interestingly, the fox asks for nothing, implying that its presence is not a demand but an invitation. The fox's patience, sitting till morning, waiting, symbolizes the persistent nature of the stories within us, waiting to be acknowledged and expressed. The ritual of looking through the glass at dawn, only to walk away, reflects a moment of recognition but also a hesitation to engage fully with what the fox represents.

Clifton then shifts the perspective, pondering whether the fox shares her encounter with the "hairless moon face" with her own community. This reversal of roles, where the human becomes the subject of the fox's narrative, suggests the universality of storytelling and the interconnectedness of all beings through the act of sharing experiences. The "trembling snout, the ignorant eyes" humanize the speaker, revealing vulnerability and a lack of understanding, traits that are often hidden behind the facade of human superiority.

The revelation in the poem comes in the lines: "it was not / the animal blood i was hiding from, / it was the poet in her, the poet and / the terrible stories she could tell." This acknowledgment that the speaker's fear stems from the "poet" within the fox, and the potent, potentially unsettling truths her stories might reveal, underscores the poem's central theme. Storytelling, especially that which delves into uncomfortable or painful truths, carries a power that can be both terrifying and cathartic.

Clifton's use of the fox as a metaphor for the storyteller, or poet, who possesses the ability to reveal profound truths through narrative, challenges the reader to consider their own fears and resistances to confronting and sharing their stories. "Telling Our Stories" is a meditation on the necessity of storytelling for personal and communal understanding and growth. It suggests that facing our fears, embracing the stories within us, and sharing them with the world is a way to connect more deeply with our own humanity and the shared human experience.

Through this beautifully crafted poem, Clifton celebrates the role of the poet as a storyteller who brings to light the "terrible stories" that we must confront to truly understand ourselves and each other. In doing so, she affirms the transformative power of storytelling and the importance of listening to the myriad voices that surround us, human or otherwise, in our journey toward understanding and empathy.

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