"Good Times" Page 277, Poem 209

Good Times, by Lucille Clifton comes across in a very simple manner.  The poem lacks the double meanings or finesse that many authors would use, and the use of simple diction adds to the simplicity of the poem, and the overall simplicity of the message.  The poem describes a family that has completed several uncomplicated tasks and how they react to it.  "My Daddy has paid the rent / and the insurance man is gone"(1-2).  This utterly straightforward task seems like child's-play to many, but in this context it is cause for celebration.  The simple diction in the quote again reinforces the simplicity of the message.

Another device found throughout the poem is the repetition of the phrase, "good times"(7). This repetition, in addition to the simple diction, stresses that despite the straightforwardness of paying the rent, there is good reason to celebrate, and this point is reinforced when the author says, "and everybody is drunk / and dancing in the kitchen / and singing in the kitchen"(11-13).  The repetition of the phrase "good times" exemplifies just how important this particular event is to the family, and again fortifies the simplicity of the poem.

I enjoyed reading this poem, because of the differences it presents in our daily lives compared with the lives of others.  The fact that this family is paying rent shows that they do not even own their own home, while the majority of us have a home and call definitely call it ours.  This event is cause for such rejoicing in the family the one would think the family had just one the lottery.  These differences provide food for thought and present a very interesting piece of literature.