Cliffton Running Into a New Year

Prompt

Write down 5 observations (form, structure, poetic elements, etc. and how they help us interpret the poem as a whole).

• "It will be hard to let go of what I said to myself about myself" What things have you said about yourself do you need to let go of in 2024?
• "And I beg what I love and I leave to forgive me" What does this final line mean? Why does Cliffton end with this idea?

Response

• Train of thought: Random structure, glimpses in time
• Repetition: "I am running into a new year" - emphasis into the fact of moving on
• Aging: 16, 26, and 36 are used as milestones to show how time passes quickly
• Personification: "that I catch in my hair like strong fingers like" Tangible past
• Reflective tone: Asks for forgiveness and continues to move on

Reflection

• Not being good enough. There's some things that you get better by doing, so I'm able to get better and just trying new things.
• I believe Cliffton utilizes these lines to show how she's acknowledged moving on - to continue doing what she loves and to forgive her for moving beyond them.