Forgiveness is a term that is used in either broad or specific situations. It can also be a more difficult act than one may think, due to damage done or the complexity of the situation. Lucille Clifton’s poem “forgiving my father” contains many indicators of just the opposite of the mentioned forgiveness in the title. Clifton discusses heavy topics of child negligence and alcoholism through her honest language. This is important because of how common these topics are in society today, and how some people take the little things for granted in life, such as family support. Clifton hints at the importance of the speaker’s past tense tone of voice in the poem, the significance of repeating the effect of time, and the relevance of the repetition of mentioning Friday through her writing. Through each of these things, it can be understood that there is a deeper message to the text that cannot be seen on the surface. Forgiveness, as mentioned in the title of the poem, is not what is the main focus of Clifton’s poem – it is more of the story behind why forgiveness needs to be found by the father, or given as a sense of closure by the speaker. 

Overall, forgiveness is something that happens in the present time, and most likely given to someone who is alive. The poem, when speaking of the father, is all written in past tense. This aspect of Clifton’s writing is confusing because the title expresses the speaker’s desire to forgive their father, however when spoken in past tense, it indicates that the father is no longer alive. This is important to recognize because if the father deceased, many would question why the speaker is speaking of forgiveness when the father is not there to receive it. Most people seek forgiveness or seek to give forgiveness to feel a sense of closure, and it is often used as an aspect to forget. However, in “forgiving my father” it appears to be a bit more complex. 

The speaker’s passive voice hints that the father is dead, and that the speaker is speaking to their dead father. This characteristic of Clifton’s poem puzzles readers to wonder the purpose of giving forgiveness to a dead person. In “forgiving my father”, Clifton writes, “old pauper old prisoner, old dead man/ what am I doing here collecting?” (lines 20-21). The desperate tone of the speaker’s voice tells the reader that the speaker is even questioning their own actions themselves. The speaker knows that their father is dead and that the forgiveness may not mean all that they want it to, yet they still long for the satisfaction of knowing the situation has found closure.  

Besides seeking closure, the speaker also shares a repetitive pattern in a few aspects of the poem. One in particular, being the end of the week, is a signal of importance. Clifton begins her poem with the indication that the end of the week has sprung and that means bills are ready to be paid. Although Clifton brings up the paying of the bills on multiple accounts, the speaker’s harsh variation of words, speaking in such an honest tone, proves that there is a much deeper meaning behind the negligence to the speaker and family. The rigid outlook on the father in the poem is very relevant in the interpretation of the text because it suggests that there is a bitterness in the speaker’s voice due to events in the past. Even if paying dues created a deep barrier between the speaker and their father, Clifton reveals that there is a much deeper meaning to the text. This deeper meaning could be that although paying the bills plays a role in supporting a family, so does being a fatherly figure. Being a role model and a support system is so important to a family as a whole. While reading it, I witnessed a lot of built up anger from the speaker towards their father and it resembled heightened tension between the two people. The built up anger is present in the poem because Clifton wants the reader to understand the hurt that the speaker is feeling. The will be able to empathize more with the speaker if they did not experience such conflict and hurt in their lives. 

Likewise, the repetition of time is reworked throughout the text. Similar to Clifton mentioning paying the bills multiple times throughout the poem, she also mentions the time that has either been lost or wasted, meaning that the speaker’s father did not show his love enough for the speaker to recognize it.  In line 4 of the poem, Clifton writes that the speaker’s father was, “…asking for more time…” (line 4) and later on goes to say, “There is no more time for you. There will never be time enough daddy…”(lines 8-9). The repetition of time reveals that the lack of fatherly guidance was present for some time, building up the tension each instance the father asked for more time. It could be interpreted as someone who continually asks for more chances, and disappoints time after time again. This is common in negligent relationships in families where one asks for forgiveness or for numerous opportunities to improve. When the speaker tells their father that the time he asks for will never be present, it can be interpreted that his time has come in the past, but he did not take advantage of the opportunity. His time has passed and therefore so has he.  

Furthermore, another signal is given to the readers when the repetition of the day Friday is identified throughout the poem. Clifton refers to Friday as the ultimate day of paying bills – an act that the speaker’s father is never present for. In lines 3-4, the speaker states, “…all week you have stood in my dreams/like a ghost…”. Clifton expresses through her words that the father is constantly haunting the speaker whether he is physically there or not. The stress linked to paying the bills weighs heavy over the speaker’s head each week and that can be easily interpreted through the text. The father is hinted to be dead in the poem, so one might wonder the purpose of the poem if the father is unable to gather the message. Perhaps this could hint at the fact that the speaker is seeking closure from her father, even though he is not around to give them that. 

Clifton mentions Friday in yet again in another instance in the poem. She refers to the week leading up to Friday, indicating that this day in particular is an important one to the family. One can sense the slight false hope that maybe one Friday the bills would be paid and the family would skate by another week. The speaker says, “…today is payday, payday old man…” (Clifton line 5), demonstrating that the time has come for her father to step up.  The firm and direct language proves to the reader the seriousness of the speaker – also hinting that the speaker is seeking something that her father was, and is, unable to give them. 

Clifton also brings up the importance of Friday in the poem when she refers to the father, “you are the pocket that was going to open/ and come up empty any Friday” (lines 17-18). The sternness of this attest can point out that the father, even if he offered to pay the bills, came up short most weeks. This could lead to a deeper connotation of the father if he is analyzed as a character who may long for the forgiveness and approval of his family, but knows that he does not have the internal strength to find that forgiveness and approval. It can be interpreted that the father seeks forgiveness because of the guilt he feels for missing so much. In common negligent family situations, the family no longer knows how to forgive that person because of the common absence. Although paying the bills is a large part of life and supporting a family, the text indicates that the father missed a lot more in the family life than paying the bills. 

Overall, the text of “forgiving my father” can be interpreted in many different ways, specifically recognizing the emphasis on giving forgiveness and seeking forgiveness. Each reader has a different view, but the rigid language of the speaker gives a lot of deeper knowledge to the reader. Throughout the poem, one can perceive the relevance of the usage of past tense voice, understand the purpose of the repetition of Friday, and can also see congruity of the repetition of time as a writing tool Clifton uses in her poetry to get her point across. Clifton’s blunt language says a lot about the short written poem, something that most readers may not see on the surface of the text. Although not lengthy in words, the poetry can be understood in so many different ways as a whole. From the theme of forgiveness, to a deeper meaning behind paying the bills each week, “forgiving my father” holds a wide range of messages under the threshold that readers may initially see. From reading the text, I was able to interpret Clifton’s message about the importance of some things people take for granted, such as paying the bills or having family who is present and caring. Whether the father did seek forgiveness or not, or whether the speaker did seek closure, is up to the interpretation of the reader – however Clifton’s writing style and poetry can lead one to believe that it is forgiveness that is an important aspect of the poem, whether it be the one who is being forgiven, or the one who is forgiving. 
