“at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, south carolina, 1989” is a poem by Lucille Clifton about a visit to the titular plantation in Roebuck, South Carolina. When I read the word “plantation”, I know of all the history and subjugation that is behind it. Knowing that Lucille Clifton is a black poet, I would expect the poem to focus greatly on the slaves that were once held there. I was, however, surprised to find that the poem didn’t contain tones of anger so much as reverence.
Clifton has a great deference towards the slaves that toiled at the plantation, for the relics left behind, marked not only by their fingerprints, but by the very spirit of their culture and their determination. The ending came as an eloquent and satisfying end to a poem heavy with respect. It doesn’t call for anger towards what happened. It doesn’t point fingers or induce guilt. Rather, it asks that we listen to the stories of these dead men and women; treat them with the respect due to them but not given. In addition, Clifton pays special attention to the situation of the slave women. Several times in the poem is it insinuating that the women were treated differently than men, apparently for the worse. Clifton wants us to remember these forgotten slaves and furthermore these forgotten women.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the discrimination shown towards the slaves is the line, “nobody mentioned slaves… but somebody did this work who had no guide, no stone, who moulders under rock.” Obviously, they were buried under stones, just another body buried in such a way that no one would ever know, much less remember. Certainly, this would give evidence to the dishonor that these slaves faced. By understanding this stanza, and what it implies, we can better understand the meaning that Clifton is trying to communicate.
Another example is the line, “the inventory lists ten slaves but only men were recognized.” This one line carries many meanings by itself. On the surface, it seems to be a simple historical fact, further evidence that shows the dehumanization of slaves on southern plantations. However, if one digs deeper, several more implications can be gleaned. Going from the “men” alone, it would appear that female slaves were further mistreated by not even being recognized in an inventory, a list that documents property and objects, a telling sign of what slaves were seen as.
This line also comes down to feminism and the plight of the slave women. Even if the reader can decide on whether slave men were named in the inventory, it is obvious from all sides that women were not included in this grouping. The sentence, “But only men were recognized” seems to further dishonor the women slaves, not even recognizing their existence as humans. Clifton takes this issue to heart, and it isn’t hard as a reader to see elements of feminism in the poem and a plea to not only remember the slaves, but the women too.
This element of feminism is also contained in the line, “some of these slaves were women some of them did this honored work.” The tools mentioned before that were used on the plantation were not only used by men, but by women as well. This “honored work” is somewhat paradoxical, as the work was treated as, at best, mundane by the slave owners, and yet it is the work of the slaves that we remember the most, the simple dignity that comes from hard work, even when it’s done from under the eyes of tyrants. We must also not forget that it was women who contributed as well.
The poem can be said to be a celebration of the work of the slaves, of a call to remember and honor these dead men and women. It’s also a strongly feminist poem. It doesn’t promote the evils of men, but the importance of women. When Clifton feels “your silence drumming in my bones,” there’s a sense of racial unity and connection. She knows of the plight of these women and the terrible discrimination they faced. That “some of these honored dead were dark some of these dark were slaves some of these slaves were women some of them did this honored work” shows that women were the lowest of the low, worse off than the men who were also slaves. Clifton calls upon us to remember the forgotten, but challenges us to recognize who really goes unremembered.
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