Homage To My Hips Poem by Lucille Clifton

Homage To My Hips

Rating: 4.2


these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don't fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don't like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Tony Nyen 25 November 2009

Homage to my Hips By Lucille Clifton She uses a figurative metaphor “Hips” to represent her personal characteristics. She has powerful, mighty, and magic hips. She is proud of her body. She is an independent woman not to enslave to anyone even her husband. She can sway her husband around like a top. The broader mean is that “man” stand for people. She can sway people conception about her, her race, her identity as a black woman. Her Hips need more space to move around means very little in physical aspect but it has more meaning as she, a black woman, would like to have more freedom, freedom to go outside socially than to be confined in a limited space at home.

22 7 Reply
Sean Taggart 14 September 2009

in the poem she basically says 'this is the way i am deal with it'. she stands strong and doesn't let anyone tell her about her own body. she doesn't spend any time worrying about what other people think of her appearance. she knows that she is special for who she is and nothing can come between that. it is inspirational because its how many people feel today in society with their issues with thier bodies. it is about pride. i agree with rebecca taylor and what she says about the line where clifton says she can put a spell on a man with her hips. she says that she knows the power she has and knowing what power we have is important to ones self esteem.

17 4 Reply
Sarah Grafton 01 November 2005

Homage to Her Hips These hips are mungo hips They yearn for terf to gyrate in They don't harmonize into wee niggling zones. These hips are footloose hips. They don't savor to be gorked. They have never been incommunicado, they mosey where they wanna beat it. They pull off where they want to give satisfaction. These hips are steamroller hips these hips are pizzazz. I have noted them to plunk a double whammy on a macho earthling and hurl him like a frisbee.

11 8 Reply
Lantz Pierre 01 August 2017

Hurt him like a frisbee? ? ? I usually firmly disdain these kinds of riffs on the original laid out in the comments section. They're usually of such poor quality and often misunderstand the beauty of the original. Having said that, this comment is pretty darn swinging and much more celebratory and full of life. Except for that last line, Sarah, I think you nailed the sentiment much better than Lucille did. Good job.

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Rebecca Taylor 14 September 2009

In the poem 'Homage to my Hips', Lucille Clifton shows that she has a very positive image of her hips and her body. It's a big problem with this generation that most women feel they are constantly being judged by their appearance. Media now a days makes it hard on women to be who they are and really be proud of themselves for what God has given them. Lucille Clifton really proves with this poem that she is proud of what God has given her and is not afraid to be herself. She is not self-conscience in the least bit because she discusses in the beginning of the poem 'these hips are big hips'. She continues on to say that 'they don't fit into little petty places', meaning that she doesn't want to be associated with the people that focus on detail and the people that spend all of their time judging other people's looks. In line 9, she states ' these hips are mighty hips' which shows that she knows they are a very powerful thing for a women to have. In lines 13 to 15, she reveals why she thinks they're so powerful by stating 'I have known them to put a spell on a man and spin him like a top! ' This statement is amazing because it shows the power that all women have on men, and that only some women have been lucky enough to master.

13 5 Reply
MAHTAB BANGALEE 10 February 2024

it's an ODE to My Hips; nice to read the poem..

0 0 Reply
Kumarmani Mahakul 09 February 2024

This poem is so nicely executed. It is interesting to read once again. Thank to poet. Five stars.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

Once again my greatest CONGRATS for this profound poem fullest in independence!

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

Mighty poem and powerfully worded, honest words told here and we feel with the poem and we feel how her thoughts are and that the world must know!

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Sylvia Frances Chan 09 February 2024

Powerful Poem chosen as The Modern Poem Of The Day. Great CONGRATS for you, dear Poetess full of Independent Gesture through your amazing poem.

0 0 Reply
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Lucille Clifton

Lucille Clifton

Baltimore, Maryland
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