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Essay on Homage to my hips by Lucille Clifton
Lucille Clifton (born June 27, 1936) is an American poet from New York. Common topics in her poetry include the celebration of her African American heritage, and feminist themes, with particular emphasis on the female body; for instance, some of her well known works include homage to my hips and poem to my uterus.
Life
Lucille Clifton (née Sayles) was born June 27, 1936, and raised in Depew, New York (a suburb of Buffalo). She attended Howard University from 1953 to 1955 and graduated from the State University of New York College at Fredonia (near Buffalo) in 1955. In 1958 she married Fred James Clifton. She worked as a claims clerk in the New York State Division of Employment, Buffalo (1958-1960), and as literature assistant in the Office of Education in Washington, D.C. (1960-1971). From 1971 to 1974 she was poet-in-residence at Coppin State College in Baltimore, and in 1979 she was named Poet Laureate of the state of Maryland.
The speaker in Homage to my Hips carries a very proud and self-confident attitude. The best example of this would be when the speaker says, These hips are mighty hips. These hips are magic hips. I have known them to put a spell on a man and spin him like a top...............
