Use of Lucifer in QuiltingLucifer is the epitome and personification of all that is evil according to the traditional American perspective. His name has been linked to the name Satan so that both names refer to the "Devil" in most Western Christian tradition. American culture, with its puritan roots and fundamentalist influences, has assigned Lucifer the role of the eternal enemy of everything we consider good and useful. Preachers and others who teach Christian morality have described its power as great enough to tempt us all, at the same time, into sin. It seeks to lead us away from God and into His realm of fear, torment, and eternal agony. It must be avoided and feared, lest it lead us to perdition. He is not human and possesses none of the traits of a good person, only the bad ones. Lucille Clifton uses Lucifer in several of her poems. He doesn't use him in the traditional role of the inhuman enemy to be feared. Rather, it imbues him with human qualities and shows him as an imperfect being who, nevertheless, was loved and missed by those who knew him best. Instead, he reflects on the Promethean story of Lucifer as “son of the dawn” (Isaiah 14:12). As Lucifer says in "Lucifer Speaks with His Voice" from Quilting, "I enlightened I could / and so / I enlightened I did" (22-24). This use of the personification of all that is evil in a possibly non-evil context causes the reader to reflect on their understanding of Lucifer and his influence in an environment without clear definitions of right and wrong, which brings about a fundamental shift in the vision of Lucifer. readers' vision of Lucifer. In Clifton's poem Lucifer is not only presented as the object of another's voice...... middle of paper ...... the representation of all that is evil is, in fact, a human person, then what is evil outside of humanity? The reader is very likely to answer this question by saying that Lucifer is representative of humanity in its lack of understanding of God and His purpose, and that evil is best defined by humanity because of our lack of understanding. There is no harm if we do not misunderstand God's purpose. Clifton's poems about Lucifer ultimately act as Lucifer himself did. Lucifer was the bringer of light – this is in fact the meaning of the name Lucifer. His poems shed light on our understanding of Lucifer and his role, meaning, and purpose. This light makes it easier for us to see our understandings, but it is still up to us to build or change that understanding. This is perhaps best for someone whose name, Lucille, also comes from the root word for light.