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Lucille Clifton And Tommy Pico: Hidden Narratives In History

2740 Words11 Pages

Hidden Narratives in History (Essay 1) History is often recollected through a selective narrative, emphasizing only certain aspects and perspectives. But given this selective history, what truths are concealed and who bears the consequences that arise from this suppression? While nature poetry is often attributed to being a channel for observing the wild beauty of the natural world, it can also serve as a space for re-examining history, both of the past and the present. Nature poets Lucille Clifton and Tommy Pico have strived to explore historical narratives that are often overlooked through their literary works. By analyzing the works of these poets, it is shown that nature poetry can prompt a re-examination of history; each poet evoking said …show more content…

In engaging us with vivid imagery of the wartime struggles of the past, Clifton is able to share and elucidate portions of history that are often suppressed and not strongly acknowledged. In doing so, Clifton conveys the painful emotions surrounding these events in history, as she visualizes how “ponies circle what is left of life and whales and continents and children and ozone and trees huddle in a camp weeping”, representing how the impacts of these events are felt far beyond their occurrences. Re-examining the history of African and Native Americans, it showcases how history is shaped by dominant narratives, obscuring important historical events and details. Given that history can be misconstrued or cherry-picked, it is crucial to reassess historical narratives for their accuracy. Nature poetry from Lucille Clifton and Tommy Pico challenges these selective narratives, using the natural world around them to bring forgotten histories to …show more content…

Nature poetry is one of these mediums, a form of activism capable of exploring the absence of human responsibility in how they interact with the natural world. Poets Lucille Clifton, Mary Oliver, and Wallace Stevens prompt an evaluation of the state of the natural environment and raise awareness of the expanding effects of human impact through their literary works. In her poem “Earth”, Lucille Clifton paints a wistful visitation to an unnamed setting that seems to have lost its former vitality. The poem constitutes a singular stanza, but there are line breaks that isolate the words “here”, “tree”, and “once”, focusing on the place, the tree, and the indication that something has changed over time. The speaker looks back to their memories of the place, recalling “here is where it was dry when it rained and also here under the same what was called a tree.”. The speaker’s past experiences of the place draw importance to the changing climate and the tree that captures their attention, as if these things collectively contributed to its natural

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