After I was exposed to poetry in high school, I became a fan of the art form. Like most people, I enjoyed the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. Consequently, I read the work of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay. In addition, I also read the poetry of the Black Arts Movement. As my interest in the art form grew, not only did I read poetry, I also listened to poets recite it.
While browsing in the stacks of the New Carrollton Public Library in Prince George's County, Maryland, I stumbled upon a tape series titled: Language of Life: A Festival of Poets. As a result, I checked the tape series out of the library and began to listen to the poets on those tapes. One of the poets I listened to was Lucille Clifton. I enjoyed hearing her read her poetry, especially Fury, a powerful poem about her mother's reaction to her father's refusal to allow her mother to publish a book of poetry, and At the Cemetery, Walnut Grove Plantation, South Carolina, 1989, a poem concerning the need to remember our ancestors who wre buried in unmarked graves. I also liked her interview with famed journalist, Bill Moyers, where she explained her poetry. After hearing her recite her poetry and expound upon it, I was repeatedly compelled to hear her section of the tape. I thoroughly enjoyed her orality. From that moment on, I was hooked on her art. Clifton was simply a wonderful poet who will be missed.
While browsing in the stacks of the New Carrollton Public Library in Prince George's County, Maryland, I stumbled upon a tape series titled: Language of Life: A Festival of Poets. As a result, I checked the tape series out of the library and began to listen to the poets on those tapes. One of the poets I listened to was Lucille Clifton. I enjoyed hearing her read her poetry, especially Fury, a powerful poem about her mother's reaction to her father's refusal to allow her mother to publish a book of poetry, and At the Cemetery, Walnut Grove Plantation, South Carolina, 1989, a poem concerning the need to remember our ancestors who wre buried in unmarked graves. I also liked her interview with famed journalist, Bill Moyers, where she explained her poetry. After hearing her recite her poetry and expound upon it, I was repeatedly compelled to hear her section of the tape. I thoroughly enjoyed her orality. From that moment on, I was hooked on her art. Clifton was simply a wonderful poet who will be missed.
Photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
