An Analysis of the Poem Miss Rosie by Lucille Clifton

Cliftons use of repetition in the poem miss rosie displays the bank clerks pardon for fly the coop Rosie, thus showing he is the exclusively one whos been affected by her. By repeating the same phrase multiple times, emphasis is put on the fact that no one besides the narrator is grieve for Miss Rosie. For example, when the narrator states, when I watch you / wrapped up like garbage (1-2), when I watch you / in your old mans shoes (6-7), and when I watch you / you wet brown bag of a woman (12-13), Clifton indicates the narrator is the solo one spirit at Miss Rosie, because of her use of singular pronouns, rather than plural.If the narrator is the only one paying whatsoever attention to Miss Rosie, he must be concerned for her in some way, which further shows his compassion for her. This is a result of her affecting him and only him. Another portrayal of this compassion for Miss Rosie is demonstrated in the following quote, I stand up / through your destruction / I stand up (1 6-18). one time again, Clifton uses a singular pronoun to prove the narrator is the only one whos been affected by Miss Rosie.Since the narrator is the only one standing up against Miss Rosies destruction, he proves to be the only one who shows compassion for her due to being affected by her. Repetition of these phrases helps to show how the narrator is the only one affected by Miss Rosie because they indicate no one besides the narrator is compassionate enough to do something about it.