Discussion Questions 11/4/13

1. P. 819 "Woman who shines at the head of my grandmother's bed" Who do you think the woman in this poem is, and why is she so significant?

2. Clifton never capitalizes "I" in her poems. For an author who stresses the importance of identity in her work, why do you think she makes this choice? Is it deliberate, is there a purpose?

3. p. 818 "I am a Black woman and I write from that experience. I do not feel inhibited or bound by what I am" From reading Clifton's poems do you believe they reflect her identity heavily? Are there other identities she expresses (more). In comparison does Brooks reflect a similar identity?

4. In the poem “the mother” she speaks of losing many children, do you think she believes she is still a mother even though she has never actually given birth to one? Why do you think that she thinks this way?

5. In “A bronzeville mother loiters…” Why do you think that she parallels the damsel in distress, usually found in fairytales, to this poem? What is the significance of labeling the characters the way that she does?

6. In “the last quatrain of the ballad of Emmett Till” What comparisons can be made in this poem and “a bronzeville mother loiters…” Does a common theme occur?