homage to my hips Analysis

Form and Meter

None of that counting syllables or beating out rhythms against your desk. Nope. See, Lucille Clifton's language is straight shooting. She's going to express exactly what her speaker thinks and feel...

Speaker

This is the woman that all women dream of becoming. She's confident, articulate, and honest with herself. She knows that there are all sorts of labels that people would like to attach to her –...

Setting

Remember that America Ferrera movie, Real Women Have Curves? There's a fabulous scene at the end of the movie when all of the women in a sweatshop strip down to their bras and flaunt their curves....

Sound Check

Just imagine Aretha Franklin belting out "Respect" in the background as this poem is read aloud. Like Aretha, this poem sounds brassy, strong, and tough – and it's oh-so-confident in its own...

What's Up With the Title?

Poetry is chock-full of odes and homages and songs of praise to just about object under the sun. There's "Ode to a Grecian Urn," for starters. Oh, and "Ode to a Nightingale." And let's not forget t...

Calling Card

Remember all of those positive self-esteem workshops that your elementary school guidance counselors had to make girls feel strong and powerful and comfortable in their own skins? Clifton takes tho...

Tough-O-Meter

A feel-good message conveyed in short, simple language? Where do we sign up?

Brain Snacks

Sex Rating

We don't get any specific references to sex, but don't let that fool you. These are some sexy, sexy hips. When they "spin" a man "like a top," we imagine that some good loving is not too far down t...