Selection 1: Poem

miss rosie by Lucille Clifton -- Notes

Georgia State Flower -- The Cherokee Rose

Lines 1-18	"...when i watch you..." Clifton's poem ignores rules of capitalization and punctuation. The poem also does not follow any standard form of poetry--we call this type of poem "FREE VERSE." In this poem, the only capitalized letters are the gee (G) and ar (R) in "Georgia Rose". The term "Georgia Rose" refers to Miss Rosie in her prime, her "glory days." By not capitalizing anything else in the poem, including the "i" of the poem's speaker, the poet provides another way in which to "stand up" for Miss Rosie.
Lines 2-4	"...wrapped up like garbage..." Imagery (the relation of sense experience): Not only does the speaker compare Miss Rosie to garbage, but the smell of garbage is included here as well, adding a VISCERAL (earthy) element to the description.
Lines 9-10	"...sitting, waiting for you mind..." Meaning: Miss Rosie suffers from some mental deterioration/disability and is not "mentally present" at all times. Mental clarity may or may not arrive, perhaps like next week's grocery (foodstuffs) given Miss Rosie's current condition.
Line 18	"...i stand up" IDIOM: The literal meaning here is "I get to my feet," but the IDIOMATIC meaning contains the speaker's attitude toward Miss Rosie, which might be best defined as "I represent and defend" or "I honor and respect."

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