In class, we read and annotated a poem called "homage to my hips" by Lucille Clifton. Before discussing it with the whole class, I seriously thought it was just about hips. We learned the deeper meaning by listening to the video and talking about it. In the video where Lucille Clifton actually narrated it (unfortunately I do not have that source) she talks about loving herself and she is proud of her body. She says where she was from everyone had to be less than 125 pounds and no gray hairs. But she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her body, as long as she loves it.
I think every girl should appreciate their bodies before they appreciate anyone else's body. You need to love you body, no matter what color, shape, or height. This poem is a love poem. But not just any average love poem. A love poem to herself, not to that special man in her life, but to her special self. The tone of this poem is proud and playful.
My favorite lines are probably "they don't fit into little petty places." and "these hips have never been enslaved." I think that when she says "don't fit into little petty places," she means that she occupies space. She doesn't hide herself. In this society, we are so used to having men or boys do everything and having them control us and control our bodies. But Lucille does not care what they think or how they think of her body. She celebrates herself. I think that "never have been enslaved" means that her body is free. Free of criticism, free of everything. They have never been enslaved by social media, the world, by society, or by even men. One of my favorite quotes is "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." This is an amazing because the first three words say just so much. Who knew that three words can say a lot. We are living a life, not a perfect life, but a perfectly imperfect life.
I think every girl should appreciate their bodies before they appreciate anyone else's body. You need to love you body, no matter what color, shape, or height. This poem is a love poem. But not just any average love poem. A love poem to herself, not to that special man in her life, but to her special self. The tone of this poem is proud and playful.
My favorite lines are probably "they don't fit into little petty places." and "these hips have never been enslaved." I think that when she says "don't fit into little petty places," she means that she occupies space. She doesn't hide herself. In this society, we are so used to having men or boys do everything and having them control us and control our bodies. But Lucille does not care what they think or how they think of her body. She celebrates herself. I think that "never have been enslaved" means that her body is free. Free of criticism, free of everything. They have never been enslaved by social media, the world, by society, or by even men. One of my favorite quotes is "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." This is an amazing because the first three words say just so much. Who knew that three words can say a lot. We are living a life, not a perfect life, but a perfectly imperfect life.