While reading the poem “Forgiving my Father” by Lucille Clifton, the audience learn of the struggle to forgive and mend the relationship between a girl and her father. Through multiple lines in the poem, Clifton expresses her efforts and frustration regarding the former relationship her and her father have shared. This poem allows the reader not only to form their own opinions on the main character, but also give them the opportunities to try to better understand all characters found within the stanzas. Given the anger we see Clifton portrays, it is understandable for the audience to want to have a deeper understanding of the relationship between her and her father. By doing so the readers can form personal connections through the text. This creates depth and interest in such a short poem giving it more meaning to each individual. In the end of the piece we learn that the narrator although did attempt to excuse and mend the past with her father through personal forgiveness, is unable to do so.

Starting with the first stanza, we see the narrator struggling to keep an open mind when it comes to her opinion of her father. Saying thing like “it’s payday” shows there is still an opportunity for her father repay them, and not all hope is lost yet (line, 5). Furthermore, when Clifton states that “my mother’s hands open in her early grave and I hold it out like a good daughter” (6-7), she is showing that she is trying to forgive her father given it was something her mother would have done. The symbolism of “open hands” means that the narrator is attempting to accept the past and move forwards from it while the statement of being a “good daughter” shows that although she has been wronged by this person before, she is trying to be more mature than them. At this point in the poem it is still easy to believe that the narrator will forgive her father considering her conservative emotions. Yet, we quickly learn that is not how it will stay. 

As the poem continues we begin to see a shift in the narrator’s opinions. In the turning point of the second stanza the audience notices she has doubts regarding her father. By declaring “there is no more time for you. there will never be time enough” (8), we see that she is beginning to think it is too late for her father to fix what has happened between the narrator, her mother and her father. As she is frustrated with the lack of emotional and financially support she has received from her father, the speaker begins to give up hope of fixed relationships within her shattered family. Claiming that she wishes her father was rich so she could “give the lady what she was due” (11), the narrator provides further proof that despite her initial impartiality, proved by her back and forth opinions, the debts put upon her and her mother are too great to be repaid. This shows that the hope of forgiveness the audience sees in the beginning is becoming less and less likely.

As the last stanza of the poem closes out, it is apparent that the dislike and disagreement between Clifton and her father is much too great to overcome. Claiming that “you lie side by side in debtors’ boxes and that no accounting will open them up” (22-23) shows that she now believes that no matter what her father tried to do to fix their relationship it was not enough. Despite the thought she was “collecting” it is clear that no amount of anything could fix what her father had done. Following the loss of all hope of forgiveness, the narrator questions “what am I is even doing here collecting” (21). After losing her mother to an “early grave” it is clear that although Clifton feels like she should attempt to mend the damages of her family left behind subsequent to her mother's passing, she realizes that no amount of money can make up for what her father has slighter her.

In the end, Clifton comes to terms that she will not get anywhere by dwelling on and hoping for her father to fix all of his mistakes. Instead she decides to give up trying to exonerate someone who did not deserve her forgiveness. This poem goes in depth really talking about the pain the author feels post-losing her mother and the blame she places on her father for not being there both emotionally and financially. Through strong psychological context, Clifton is able to lead her audience through her own mental and emotional process of dealing with family hardships. In close, the audience perceives that even though Clifton initially tries to forgive her father, she is unable to accept all of his past mistakes.
