Narrator, “The Death of Fred Clifton”
The narrator of this poem—Clifton herself—recounts what she imagines death would have been like for her husband, who passed away. Though Clifton should be considered the narrator, as the poem is her imaginings of what her husband’s death was like, the poem is nonetheless told from the perspective of Fred. Lucille Clifton, as Fred, recalls how Fred held her hand as he died and was granted a more thorough understanding of the universe. In this way, the narrator of this poem is recounting the complexities of death, as Clifton imagined her husband would have.
Narrator, “The Lost Baby Poem”
The narrator of this poem recalls the traumatic and sobering events surrounding the loss of her baby. The narrator explains that she did not want to keep her baby and so, was forced to smuggle herself across the border into Canada, where she was legally able to acquire an abortion. Though the narrator did not want to carry the pregnancy to full term, she feels sorrow and remorse for the young life that will never be and uses the poem to express this sorrow and remorse.
The Baby, “The Lost Baby Poem”
Though the baby in this poem has died and does not contribute any dialogue or thoughts to the poem, it is an integral character, as the narrator refers to herself and the baby as a duo. The narrator uses “we,” which is to indicate her and the baby. In this way, the baby is integrated into the foundation of this poem and serves as a talisman for the narrator, who will never forget the lost baby that she lost to the river.
Narrator, “Oh Antic God”
The narrator of this poem is presumably representative of author Lucille Clifton. The narrator of this poem bemoans the loss of her mother and reaches out to God in the hopes that He can restore some of the finer memories, which are beginning to slip from her aging mind. The narrator is beginning to forget how her mother smelled, how she spoke, what her eyes looked like. The narrator curses God for taking these fond memories and begs to be reunited with her mother so that she may find solace in these memories once more.
Mother, “Oh Antic God”
Though the mother is the subject of his poem, she is only described in minimal detail, which serves as a reflection of all that the narrator remembers about her. The mother is depicted as being a soft, warm, and caring woman who lived her life as a dedicated mother and died far too young. The narrator clearly admired and loved this character, who is beginning to slip from the narrator’s memory.
God, “Oh Antic God”
In this poem, the narrator is cursing God for taking away her clearest and most fond memories of her mother. The narrator views God as a cruel being, one who is deliberately removing these fond memories. In this way, God can be considered a type of antagonist for the narrator, who holds Him permanently responsible for her mother’s death and the subsequent loss of her memories.
