An Affirmation of Humanity
Clifton has many times referenced her belief that the act of writing is a means of connecting with others. Through the construction of poetry—and, by definition, the reading of it—one can connect with all the myriad problems and difficulties as well as the joyous and celebratory emotions that may be too overwhelming to deal with in the moment. Poetry can become the revelatory moment of identifying with another person outside the moment in a way that can help one understand those emotions as universally human rather than specifically personal.
Spirituality and Mysticism
Clifton’s solid spiritual foundation has informed her poetry from the beginning. With her Pulitzer-Prize nominated collection Two-Headed Woman in 1980, the spiritual undertones had transformed fully into the realm of mysticism with its invocation of ancient African tribal beliefs, voodoo rituals and Hindu goddesses. Her 1993 collection, The Book of Light, pursues her interest in spiritual themes perhaps to the ultimate with its richly populated cast of mythological and Biblical figures engaging in philosophical discourse.
The Impact of the Past upon the Present
A sense of history is always manifested in Clifton’s poetry. Subjects of individual poems reach as far back as the naming of animals in the book of Genesis as well as to recent history like the plethora of school shootings in the early 21st century. The connective tissue tying ancient pre-history to yesterday’s headlines is the way that the actions and decisions of the past impact the present. This motif is revealed not just through larger-than-life events, but in the everyday activities of people. Ultimately, Clifton’s optimistic worldview shines through as the culmination of her historical analysis is that the past offers a route toward a future in which redemption is always possible in the here and now.
