GordonLiu

Native American Readings

1. Select one poem of the four provided and write another poem mimicking the style and syntax of the first poem. You can change the topic and words, but the rhythm, number of syllables, sentence structure and poetic elements (such as repetition and figurative language) have to be mirrored in your poem. You may write on any topic you like.

Chosen Poem: THE CORN GROWS UP

The corn grows up. The waters of the dark clouds drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the corn leaves drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the plants drop, drop. The corn grows up. The waters of the dark mists drop, drop. from the Navajo

My Poem: The sun comes up. The sounds of the small farm grow, grow. The light arrives. The plants on the small farm grow, grow. The light arrives. The winds on the small farm grow, grow. The sun comes up. The crops of the small farm grow, grow.

2. Select two poems (must be different than the one you picked for #1) and write two short paragraphs that compare and contrast the poems. Your paragraphs can focus on different elements of the poems, including subject, theme, tone, use of poetic devices such as repetition, imagery, and any progressions that you notice in the poems (for example, you might notice that the images get stronger in each line, or the detail gets more specific). Be sure that (a) you explain how the elements contribute to the message or feeling of the whole poem and (b) that you don’t just talk about one poem and then the other. You have to first talk about the comparisons (similarities) and then the contrasts (differences). So you have to think about the structure of your paragraphs before you write them.

Poems selected: Hunting Song and The Song of the Sky Loom

Compare and Contrast In the poems The Song of the Sky Loom and I Have Killed the Deer, there are many similarities. Both poems have striking attachments to mother nature, which gives them both the theme and message that anything to do with mother nature and the earth is sacred. In The Song of the Sky Loom, the first line, "O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the Sky" shows the affinity to mother nature, showing how the native americans worshipped the earth and the sky and their closeness to nature. In I Have Killed the Deer, the last line, "The circle of life is never broken" shows the affinity to nature, showing that the native americans were very close to nature and worshipped how it kept the balance of animals in check. Another comparison between the two poems is that the final sentences sum up the entire meaning of the poem. "O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the Sky" and "The circle of life is never broken" both sum up that the poems are describing what takes place in nature and confirms their relationship with nature is strong. In addition to comparisons between the two poems, there are also many contrasts. Both of these poems are similar in some ways, but are different in many more ways. The Song of the Sky Loom is much shorter and more repetitive than I Have Killed the Deer. I Have Killed the Deer is much longer and less repetitive. In addition to being longer and less repetitive, I Have Killed the Deer leeds up to its final meaning, emphasizing the final meaning, whereas The Song of the Sky Loom moves from reason to reason without much buildup, finally summing up the poem with the final line. In The Song of the Sky Loom, the first and the last sentences are the same, different from I Have Killed the Deer.

3. Read the short story called "The Navajo Origin Legend". Answer the following questions: a. What did you like about the story? What i liked about the story was the way the story depicted the affinity with nature, for example the whole second paragraph, very descriptive throughout.

b. What did you dislike about the story? The one thing i disliked about the story was how it talked about "the people" when they gods were creating the First Man and the First Woman, when I had thought that the people were already Man and Woman, it was confusing.

c. What was the image that was most powerful or interesting for you? The most powerful image that this story depicted was when the gods laid the buckskins on the ground and placed the ears of corn and the white and yellow eagle feathers on top of them.

d. The Native Americans who wrote this poem are similar to other pre-colonial societies in that they write about the materials of their everyday lives in their myths. Food, nature, and animals are some such materials. Identify all the specific materials that appear in the story that would be common in the everyday lives of the Native American culture. For each material that you identify, explain briefly what is happening to it in the story.

- White and Yellow Cornmeal Food, is being used to wash the males and females before the gods approach - Sacred Buckskin Probably used as clothing, being carried by gods and placed on the ground as part of the first man and the first woman - White and Yellow Corn Food, used to depict the difference between men and woman - White and Yellow Eagle Feathers Used in clothing and headdresses, sacred, also depicts the difference between men and women

e. What can you tell about the culture of this people based on the materials that appear in this story and they way that these objects are used? Do you notice any patterns in how these materials are depicted?

We can tell from the materials that the earth and its resources are very important to these people. They are extremely close to mother nature and believe in many different gods. The materials, mostly the feathers, the cornmeal, and the corn are all depicted as yellow and white. This showed the difference between men and woman.

4. The speaker in "I Have Killed a Deer" talks about death and killing in an unusual way. How would you describe the way he talks about death and killing? Why does he talk about it this way? Do you think he feels sorry for killing living things? What single line is a turning point in the message of this poem? What is the overall message of this poem, in a single short sentence?

I would describe his talking of death as something he doesn't want to do, but is also a necessary evil. He talks about it this way because he does not want to kill the deer, but he must eat it to survive, or starve. I believe that he feels sorry for killing living things, as before, it is a necessary evil. The turning point in this poem is "When I died I must give life." This is true because it justifies his actions. The overall message of this poem is that the circle of life is part of life, and it has to happen or the world will be unbalanced.