Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Mulberry Fields," by Lucille Clifton, is a reflective and evocative poem that delves into the themes of memory, history, and the indelible mark of the past on the present. Through the narrative of a field, once teeming with life and now forgotten, Clifton explores the erasure of history and the consequences of neglecting the stories embedded in the land. This essay will analyze the structure, form, and thematic elements of "Mulberry Fields," highlighting Clifton's stylistic choices and their contribution to the poem's powerful message.

The structure of "Mulberry Fields" is free verse, allowing Clifton the flexibility to weave a narrative that is both historical and personal. This form supports the poem's flow of consciousness style, which mirrors the process of memory and recollection. The lack of a strict rhyme scheme or meter reflects the nature of history itself—unruly, fragmented, and resistant to neat categorization. Clifton's strategic use of spacing and pauses guides the reader through the poem, emphasizing the weight of the silenced histories and the space they occupy in our collective memory.

Clifton's style is characterized by its lyrical simplicity and profound depth. She employs imagery and metaphor to resurrect the forgotten field and its stories. The "marker rocks and stones" piled into a barn and used to build walls symbolize the physical and metaphorical erasure of history. These stones, "scratched with triangles and other forms," suggest an attempt at communication, a language of eternity that has been silenced by the imposition of a new order. The transformation of these markers into a wall guarding the manor and parts of the state house signifies the appropriation and suppression of a culture and its history for the construction of a new narrative of power and dominance.

Thematically, "Mulberry Fields" confronts the erasure of African American history and the legacy of slavery. Clifton hints at the sacredness of the field, suggested by the stones that marked "an old tongue" and "pointed toward the river." This sacredness is contrasted with the desecration of the land through the removal of these markers, paralleling the historical erasure of African American contributions and the violence of slavery. The line "no pillow in the big house dreamed" metaphorically suggests that the suppression of this history haunts even the oppressors, denying them peace.

The poem also speaks to the resilience of memory and the refusal to forget. Clifton's declaration that "i say the stones marked an old tongue and it was called eternity" is an assertion of the enduring power of those who have been silenced. The reference to "alice whose great grandson is old now / too and refuses to talk about slavery" points to the pain of memory but also to the resistance against erasure. The poem ends on a note of defiance and survival: "bloom how you must i say," affirming the persistence of life and memory despite attempts to suppress them.

In conclusion, "Mulberry Fields" by Lucille Clifton is a poignant meditation on the power of memory, the pain of historical erasure, and the resilience of the human spirit. Through her evocative use of imagery, metaphor, and the free verse form, Clifton crafts a narrative that challenges the reader to confront the silenced histories beneath our feet. The poem is a call to remember and to acknowledge the layers of history and human experience that shape our present. Clifton's work serves as a reminder that the past, though buried or erased, continues to speak, demanding recognition and reverence.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...