Themes and Meanings (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
Lucille Clifton’s work is rooted in the black experience, in
Christian idealism, and in her feminine sensibilities.
“Femaleness” is the energy that informs many of her poems: she
often writes about children, family, and keeping a household.
She is interested in revealing personal joys and sadnesses in
order to suggest the experiences people share—what makes human
experience a continuous and collective experience.  Clifton is a
self-proclaimed poet of black culture, and she clearly wishes to
transmit values. As in her many children’s stories, she wishes
to convey the “good news” that despite dark days there can be
and should be joy to look forward to, that ultimately the world
is defined by possibility. This vision is strongly embraced in
“the lost baby poem.” The pledge of the third stanza clearly
indicates that the speaker aims for better days. Also evident is
the conviction that people do have choices.  The poem also
resonates with communal and