An Analysis Of Lucille Clifton's Poem 'Homage To My Hips'

Beginning the day we are born, we start forming a perception of the world around us. As we get older, this understanding encompasses judgment, especially concerning public appearance. For many plus-size women, how they are perceived publicly becomes the source of one of their biggest insecurities. Lucille Clifton’s poem “homage to my hips,” which describes a woman’s pride in her curvy figure, was published in 1980 in a book with several poetic entries that celebrate body parts that are often judged. Thirty-Four years later, Meghan Trainor’s pop song, “All About That Bass,” hit the charts in 2014 to encourage women to accept the way they look by singing about her personal experiences. Clifton’s poem and Trainor’s song both advocate for women

To show her pride in her curvature figure, Clifton’s persistent use of “these hips” throughout the poem projects ownership in her build. Claiming her “big hips,” which is not the look many women desire, shows that she is proud of how she looks. This encourages readers to love their appearance just as the poet does. Similarly, Meghan Trainor’s song repeats the lyrics “I’m all about that bass” to push her theme among the listener. In terms of “bass” metaphorically describing thickness, Trainor’s most memorable and constant lyric in her song moves your mind to body positivity and self-love. Overall, the use of repetition in both the poem and song is crucial for the development of their

The poet and artist effectively use repetition and a confident tone to encourage body positivity among their readers, but the poem is superior in promoting this idea since it provides an example for the reader to relate to while the artist just suggests what her hips are not, leaving us hanging. In terms of personification, Lucille Clifton describes her hips as if “they go where they want to go/they do what they want to do”(Clifton, lines 9-10). Clifton personifies having a curvy figure as a powerful individual who displays confidence, leadership, and no fear whatsoever. This description implies the poet’s hips as having a mind of their own, which encourages other individuals who can relate to having “big hips” to have the same mindset in reality. Since having a plus size or curvier figure is something many women fear, it is important to express direct reminders of self-confidence in a piece, so it is memorable to the audience. Clifton successfully personifies her body as a powerful individual admirable among readers, but instead, Trainor relies heavily on metaphors to simply express what her body is not. For example, Trainor displays thinness by stating she would not be a “stick-figure, silicone Barbie doll, ” then telling her audience, “So, if that's what you're into/Then go ahead and move along” (38-40).