Finding Thelma's Garden

On discovering Lucille Clifton's poem "Spring Thought for Thelma," the author remembered the story his mother had told him of his grandmother's sudden passing in the garden of her Rubonia, Florida, home. While the initial lines of "Spring Thought" closely resembled his...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Southern cultures 2024-09, Vol.30 (3), p.10-19
Main Author: Manigault-Bryant, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Death & dying
Families & family life
Gardens & gardening
Grandparents
Poetry
Recall
Women
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:On discovering Lucille Clifton's poem "Spring Thought for Thelma," the author remembered the story his mother had told him of his grandmother's sudden passing in the garden of her Rubonia, Florida, home. While the initial lines of "Spring Thought" closely resembled his mother's recounting of his grandmother's final moments, the last sentence of the poem led the author to consider Rubonia's changing demographic makeup and the neglectful decisions of local government bodies that undermine the community's environmental conditions. Reading Clifton's poem allowed the author to reflect on how the garden, the community, and stories of his grandmother created his sense of home.
ISSN:1534-1488
1068-8218
1534-1488
DOI:10.1353/scu.2024.a945278