blessing the boats lucille clifton meaning

In the final stanza, the speaker shifts from addressing the boats to addressing the reader directly. This contrast between light and dark, beauty and danger, helps to underscore the resilience of the boats and the human spirit. The 'white seabirds' and the 'blue sky' create a sense of beauty and peace, while the 'gray water' and the 'sharp rocks' convey a sense of danger and uncertainty. Throughout the poem, Clifton uses vivid imagery to bring the scene to life. The speaker's blessing is a way of acknowledging these struggles, but also of expressing hope and faith that the boats (and by extension, we) will be able to weather the storms and emerge stronger.

The sea is a metaphor for life, and the boats represent the struggles and challenges that we all face. This is seen in lines like 'they will not allow / themselves to be held by this place.' The use of the word 'allow' implies that the boats have agency and are making a conscious decision to leave the safety of the harbor.Īs the boats set out to sea, the speaker blesses them, asking the gods to 'protect these boats / from all the troubles of the sea.' This request for protection is significant because it acknowledges that the journey ahead will not be easy. However, despite their small size, the boats are also powerful symbols of the human spirit and determination. The speaker begins by describing the boats as 'small and delicate as children's toys,' which suggests that they are fragile and vulnerable. The poem is set at the shore, where the speaker, who is likely Clifton herself, observes a group of boats leaving the harbor. In 'Blessing the Boats,' Lucille Clifton uses vivid imagery and figurative language to convey a sense of hope and resilience in the face of challenges.

Blessing the boats lucille clifton meaning