Shruti

=Shruti's Analysis:=

QQQQQQ Many of Lucille Clifton's works of literature and poems are strongly influenced by her African-American heritage, memories handed down from generation to generation of slavery, and her upbringing and life. This particular poem is no exception. A prodigious writer and poet, Lucille Clifton has won many awards and honors for her work. "Mulberry Fields" is a poem by Lucille Clifton that discusses slavery, and the scars, both physical and emotional, that it left on the people, as well as the land. Using a distinct style and language, Clifton gave this poem a curiously simple appearance--but it really is simple. While she employs the use of some symbolism, repetition, and imagery, the main value of this poem is the poem itself.

QQQQQQ This literary work is divided into two halves. In the first half, lines 1-8, the story is told using the words "they say", and "they thought". The second half, lines 9-17, is where the speaker explains what she thinks, uses the words "i say". The first part and the second part both tell the reader the same happenings on the fallow, and then wild, plot of land, while incorporating the ideas of the two sides, "they", and "i". "They" say that the fallow plot of land was not producing, and could be put to better use as cropland. To this end, they removed some oddly marked stones, and unceremoniously dumped them into a barn, or used them in various places on the estate. And so, they plowed and seeded the formerly fallow field. For an unexplainable reason, crops didn't grow.

QQQQQQ The speaker explains that "...the stones marked an old tongue and it was called eternity/ and pointed towards the river...". Later on, she states that someone named Alice is rotting in the field. This gives new meaning to the previous lines, so we can now infer that the stones were some form of gravestones, typical to the speaker, but unknown to "they". Also, the river that the stones pointed to (lines 9-10) could be a river of time. Eternity is a long time, but a river is constantly changing and adapting, which strengthens the idea that slaves are something of the past, old scars are healing, and times are changing. The next few lines refer to the masters house, but also include an important passage, in lines 14-17.

QQQQQQQ ... i say no seed QQQQQQQ can flourish on this ground once planted then forsaken wild QQQQQQQ berries warm a field of bones QQQQQQQ bloom how you must i say

QQQQQQ The "field of bones" relates to the woman who was buried there, and also to what I called gravestones. But, she observes that berries, mulberries, warm the field, and make it a better place. Mulberry trees are very hardy, especially those that are grown from seedlings, as they do in this poem. They are able to grow in the poorest conditions, so an analogy can be made to the atmosphere of fear, and hate that the hope for change and healing grows, and is alive in. It is believed that mulberries have healing properties, which turns this into an extended analogy. A solid conclusion can be made that the mulberry trees are symbolic of the hope that had sprung from an unforgiving environment, one that will heal the people and their scarred memories.

QQQQQQ Clifton is known for her lack of punctuation, which adds a modern feel to the poem. "Mulberry Fields", however, discusses the aftereffects of old history, that of slaves, giving the poem an interesting touch, as modern language and old history are combined. She also uses spaces to end sentences, turning them into what I refer to as "thoughts", adding an almost dreamy quality to "Mulberry Fields". Her way of ending thoughts on different lines from which they began adds another modern touch, as well as giving the poem a somewhat steady rhythm. This rhythm is enforced with the repetition of the phrases "they say", "they thought", and "i say". Her imagery is very vivid, and is seen throughout the poem. For example, in lines 14-17, seen above, you can immediately see in your mind's eye a field that was once busy with seeders, and plowers, but now is abandoned, with unruly weeds and trees sprouting up across the landscape.

QQQQQQ In conclusion, "Mulberry Fields", penned by Lucille Clifton, is a piece of poetry that incorporates African-American culture and heritage, the history of her race, her own easily recognized, distinctly modern style, and a steady hope for the future. She does not use symbolism liberally in this literary work, yet her imagery is vivid, and instantly calls to the mind many images while using words sparingly. As Helen Keller said, one word is worth a thousand pictures, and with "Mulberry Fields", a lauded literary work, this is truly the case.

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