What the Mirror said

What the mirror said
Lucille Clifton
listen,
you a wonder.
you a city
of a woman.
you got a geography
of your own.
listen,
somebody need a map
to understand you.
somebody need directions
to move around you.
listen,
woman,
you not a noplace
anonymous girl;
mister with his hands on you
he got his hands on
some
damn
body!

I believe this poem is what people should think when they look in the mirror. Not a reflection for the purpose of bettering oneself for other, but for a reflection on how good he or she is. The theme of this poem, according to what I get from it, is that every women is an unique object of respect not only from herself, but from others as well.

I consider the listens, not only as the author’s trying to gain the attention of the reader, but also breaking up the poem into specifically different parts. Part one: Just the women, Part two: The women and others, Part three: A message to others.

Part one: Women, are unique, have the complexity of a city, have bodies that are different from any other.
Part two: People can’t approach the city (a women) with the assumption that they know their way around.
Part three: That any man, needs to know that this is not any girl, but is SOMEBODY.

Though this analysis had largely contained summary, the poem itself contains specialized development, and blatant meaning.

I love the theme, I think it should be applicable to all people, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog.