The Speaker's Body

The speaker's body is a site of celebration and resistance in the poem. As she pays homage to her hips, the speaker describes her own body, capabilities, and identity in dignified terms. The reason that this is an act of resistance is because the speaker exists in a world that seeks to oppress her on account of race, gender, and body type. Though this poem does not explicitly define the speaker's race, the word "enslaved" as well as Clifton's common use of autobiographical details in her poetry place "homage to my hips" within the context of Black womanhood.

20th-Century America

Clifton, who was born in New York in 1936, was an influential figure in the Black Arts Movement. This movement (which occurred in the 1960's and 70's) defined a Black artistic and literary aesthetic based on self-determination, African American culture, and political action. It began shortly after...