Essay Questions

Why does the narrator place blame upon God for her memory loss in “Oh Antic God”?

In this poem, the narrator explains her sorrow and regret at the fact that she is beginning to lose several key memories regarding her mother. She can just barely remember how her mother looked during childhood but is starting to lose the memory of her unique scent, or her hair, and her eyes. The narrator blames God for this travesty and begs Him to let her be reunited with her mother. It is likely that the narrator places this blame upon God because He is an easy target and is considered to be responsible for all the happenings in the universes. As such, it is likely that the narrator rationalizes that He is purposefully responsible for her plight and that he is therefore deserving of blame.

“The Death of Fred Clifton” is written by Lucille from the perspective of her husband, Fred. Why do you think she chose to write the poem from this perspective?

Though Lucille did not experience her husband’s death, it is likely that she remembers it well from her perspective and would have undoubtedly pondered what her husband experienced in his final moments. As death can be traumatic and grief-filled for anyone, it is possible that Clifton chose to write this poem from the perspective of her deceased husband to serve as a form of therapy and catharsis. By imagining what the experience of death must have been like for Fred, Lucille may have been more able and willing to cope with and accept his death. As such, it is possible and even likely that Clifton wrote the poem from her husband’s perspective—rather than her own—to explore what the experience must have been like for him and, in doing so, find peace for herself.

“The Lost Baby Poem” is rather sober and dark. How are the narrator’s emotions regarding this lost baby explored in this poem?

In “The Lost Baby Poem,” the narrator recounts the journey she took to get an abortion for her unwanted pregnancy. At first, it may appear as though the narrator is a cruel character, whose intentions are purely selfish. A closer look, however, reveals a complex interaction of emotions, all of which are vying for the narrator’s attention. The narrator uses the word “we” throughout the poem, in reference to the baby she is no longer carrying. Though she is matter-of-fact in her description of the event, the use of this pronoun suggests that the narrator still feels a connection to the lost baby. Additionally, the narrator appears to mourn the fact that her baby will never have a name; will be lost to time and the seas forever. Therefore, though the narrator does not appear to regret losing her baby, she nonetheless felt connected to it and is mourning the loss of life in her own way.