Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"For Delawd" by Lucille Clifton is a poignant exploration of resilience, grief, and the enduring strength of women, particularly Black women, who navigate through life's harshest realities with an unbreakable spirit. Through vivid, everyday imagery and a conversational tone, Clifton paints a picture of life that continues in the face of unimaginable loss and hardship, capturing the essence of survival and the legacy of perseverance passed down through generations.

The poem opens with a sense of misunderstanding from outsiders, "people say they have a hard time / understanding how i / go on about my business." This introduction immediately sets the stage for a narrative of resilience, as the speaker lives her life outwardly normal, engaging in daily activities and joys despite the undercurrents of pain and memory that others might expect to cripple her. The mention of "playing my ray charles / hollering at the kids" depicts a scene of domestic life and normalcy, juxtaposed against the backdrop of grief and historical trauma.

Clifton uses the imagery of the speaker's afro "cut off in some old image" as a metaphor for the deep roots of memory and history that run through Black families, particularly through lines of women. This "long memory" is not only personal but collective, encompassing the shared experiences of suffering, resilience, and survival that define the Black community, especially its women.

The phrase "i come from a line / of black and going on women" evokes a powerful sense of lineage and legacy, highlighting the speaker's heritage of strong women who have endured the pain of losing their sons to violence. These women have "got used to making it through murdered sons," a heartbreaking reality for many Black mothers throughout history. Yet, despite this unimaginable grief, they continue to perform their daily routines—"fried chicken / ironed / swept off the back steps"—a testament to their strength and determination to keep going for the sake of their living children and those yet to come.

The repetition of "who grief kept on pushing" underscores the relentless nature of their sorrow, yet also their unstoppable drive to move forward. Grief becomes both a burden and a motivator, a constant presence that shapes their lives but does not define their entirety. The poem speaks to the duality of mourning and living, of remembering those "gone" while still nurturing and preparing for those "coming."

"For Delawd" is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of Black women, who, in the face of systemic violence and personal loss, continue to push forward, to nurture, and to survive. Lucille Clifton's poem is a powerful reminder of the resilience that has been cultivated out of necessity, a resilience that is passed down through generations as both a legacy and a lesson. Through the specificity of her imagery and the universality of her themes, Clifton celebrates the strength, love, and enduring hope that characterize the lives of "black and going on women" everywhere.

POEM TEXT: https://www.academia.edu/43790670/The_Collected_Poems_1965_2010_by_Lucille_Clifton

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