Discussion Questions for 11/5- Jessica and Merique

Gwendolyn Brooks was born in the year 1917 and is still with us. She was born in Topeka, Kansas to the decedent of an escaped slave but she was raised in Chicago, Illinois. At a young age she realized that writing was her calling stating that "Other girls had boyfriends and I wrote." Brooks was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for her book full of traditional poetic forms called Annie Allen in 1950. People have said that Brooks is seeking "to retrieve the voice and place of black motherhood." Brooks poetry addresses issues such as abortion, racist, domestic violence and the difficulties of raising children in poverty.

"the mother"

 1. The speaker of the poem obviously demonstrates that the process of deciding and having an abortion is no easy task.  Although we don't have a lot of background knowledge on the speaker do you believe that she has regrets about having her abortion? What do you believe that poet's stance on abortion is? 

2. Brooks has two children named Henry and Nora. Do you think having children once you've previously had an abortion makes it more difficult to deal with your past choices?

"A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, A Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon"

3. This poem highlights the issues of domestic violence. How do you think that the presence of domestic in the home affects the children that witness it? Do you think it contributes to the cycle of domestic violence in the home?

"The Last Quatrain of the Ballad of Emmett Till"

4. In the poem it says "She kisses her killed boy. And she is sorry." Why do you think the mother is sorry?

Lucille Clifton was born in the year 1936 and is also still with us. She was born in Depew, New York and attended Howard University and Fredonia State Teachers College. She was married to her hunband for 26 years before he died and she had 6 children. She has published over a dozen books. She spent most of her life as an educator. The poems she writes pays homage to the mother-daughter connection and the reveal as well as the poet's fascination with the imaginary lives of Biblical women. 

"june 20"

5. In the poem it talks about a baby girl being born into a broken home. We feel that Clifton is writing about her own personal experiences in this poem since her actual birthday is June 27th. How to you think it impacted her as a mother, a wife and a writer?

"daughters"

6. Lucille Clifton honors her African-American foremothers in this poem. Have the different generations of women in your family helped impact you as a women, if at all?

"naomi watches as ruth sleeps"

 7. Clifton is known for biblical references in her poetry. How do you interpret Naomi's relationship with Ruth? Why do you think she chose to portray Ruth and Naomi's relationship in this manner?