Poetry of Indians
Makanamaikalani Tyrell
Table of Contents Introduction
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Leslie Marmon Silko
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My Poetry and Commentary
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Bibliography
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Introduction
In the world today most people have pride in the ethnicities they are. For example, I take pride in my Hawaiian ethnicity because I
am proud to be apart of a race that struggled for many years to survive. I hear people who are particularly proud to be Filipino, Samoan, Mexican, etc. that shows that they are influenced by their ethnicity. After doing research on this author I learned that we are very similar in our views. She and I both have a very strong opinion on the way our race has been viewed by the “white man.” She and I are also Native Americans which is the reason why I chose to write about her.
Leslie Marmon Silko is one of the greatest Native American poets of her generation because of her influential works that have been
published in the last 45 years. I have chosen Silko not only because she and I share the same ethnicity but because she is someone whose poems I can relate to and admire. Most of the poems that I have chosen to go into this book were ones that showed the struggles that the Native Americans went through. One example would be the poem, “Indian Song: Survival;” this poem talks about having to leave and migrating to new lands. I have also chosen the poems because I love these kinds of poems that showcase the fight we have to defend someone or some thing. I also chose Silko because she and I share similar topics and themes of what we write about. I like to write more about struggle and a fight through the struggle, which you will later see with my original poetry.
Something that I learned from this poet is that you can do anything because she herself has defied what others have said about her.
I think that is another reason why I admire and chose her for this book. Something that I learned from writing my own poetry is that you can write about anything, but it is better to stick with what you know or what you are comfortable with writing. It would also be great if you write about something that you are passionate about. If you are passionate about something you will be able to communicate your ideas with ease through writing or any other type of creative way such as art or music. 3
This is the first time I will be sharing poetry outside of the classroom and I think that the work that I have created for this book is a
great start to poetry writing. I had fun creating my concrete poem because you are able to interact with the words...literally! This kind of poetry is something that you can have a piece of because it could be an object or a piece of paper. It was somewhat difficult to create the concrete poem because I didn’t do anything like it before. I thought that this was a very enjoyable project and I hope you have an enjoyable time reading it.
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Chapter 2
Leslie Marmon Silko
Section 1
Biography of Leslie Marmon Silko Biography The following is an imagined and well-documented autobiography of Leslie Marmon Silko. Leslie Marmon Silko was born on March 5, 1948, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was born to a father who was a photographer, Lee Marmon, and a mother Mary Virginia Leslie. I have an ancestry that consists of Mexican, Laguna Pueblo, and Caucasian (white) and grew up in the Laguna Pueblo reservation that is located in New Mexico (Leslie Marmon Silko, Poetry Foundation). While living in the reservation I learned Laguna Pueblo myths and traditions (Leslie Marmon Silko, Encyclopedia Britannica). I attended the Bureau of Indian Affairs School until I was in the fifth grade then I had to go to a Catholic school. When I left the schools on the reservation I was not able to speak the language that my grandmother and aunts spoke, which was Keresan. Later went on to attend the University of New Mexico where I excelled and graduated with honors in 1969. I was interested in pursuing the study of law, but later found that I was more interested in pursuing my writing career (Leslie Marmon Silko, Poetry Foundation). In 1971 I could be awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Discovery Grant. Some of the other awards I have received over the years are those such as a Pushcart Prize for Poetry, the MacArthur “Genius” Award, New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities “Living Cultural Treasure” Award, etc. (Leslie Marmon Silko, Poetry Foundation) I earned these awards because of the tremendous work and time
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I put into writing stories, novels, and poems. One of the stories that I have written was “The Man to Send Rain Clouds,” which was also the first story that I published (Leslie Marmon Silko, Poetry Foundation). I am most known for my novels and being an accomplished novelist. In 1977 I wrote the novel “Ceremony,” that exemplifies the power a Native American ceremony can have. It explores that a ceremony isn’t just a ritual but also a way of conducting one’s own life. This novel is what established me as an important Native American writer as well as naming me the first Native American woman novelist (Leslie Marmon Silko, Encyclopedia Britannica). I am not only a history-making novelist, but I am also a renowned poet. I like to write about many themes such as Native American’s non-western sense of time strength of women, the need for social and political changes that need to occur in society, and traditional legends and stories I learned from my family (Leslie Marmon Silko, Voices from the Gaps). One poem I wrote called “Bear Story” is an example of my unique themes that emphasizes the stories of my people. This particular poem talks about an ancient metamorphosis myth about Bears and Humans. Although my poems show that there has been some pain felt by the Native Americans this isn’t targeted to the United States who took over my lands, but to the worlds and the citizens of the world. I have also worked with other writers like James Wright who collaborated with me to write The Delicacy and Strength of Lace: Letters Between Leslie Marmon Silko and James Wright (Leslie Marmon Silko, Poetry Foundation). This book won the Boston Globe Book Prize for nonfiction. With the writing of this book and the collaboration with James Wright it is safe to say that we are friends and make each other better writers and poets.
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Section 2
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Section
Poetry Analysis of “Hawk and Snake” Poetry Analysis The poem “Hawk and Snake” is one of my favorites from Silko.
fields could be the Native American fields for farming and their lifestyle of living off the land.
She talks about going back to somewhere again. I think she
She then describes the sky and the earth. This made me think of
might be going back to the reservation because this poem was
the title, “Hawk and Snake” because a hawk flies in the sky and a
written in 1972 and that is when she would be finished with
snake slithers on the Earth. My predictions about the involvement
college. However, she could have been living somewhere outside
of a hawk and snake are confirmed. The next stanza says, “I
of the reservation and is saying, “Good bye” to the outside world.
recall the others here,” which got me to thinking that she is
It says that, “I go back again walking slow away from the houses
referring to herself as an animal. I remember that the Native
and stores,” which could represent all the buildings that make up
Americans have a special connection to animals. So she could
cities where she has been.
be using that connection to show that she is the same with these
However, it could also be the reservation she is leaving because in the next lines it says, “And look back once or twice at the fields and fences in the distance,” which could be the fence that
animals, which is free to soar like a hawk but able to confine herself to a smaller mass ⎯metaphorically speaking⎯ like a “snake coiled on his rocks.
keeps the outside world from getting into the reservation. The
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I think the next stanza talks about clouds rolling in because it
shade.” This hidden message is an inspiration to me because she
says, “And then no longer...” which could mean that the clear
is giving me an idea that I can leave to help a cause or make an
skies have gone away. The poem mentions a blue flower and
issue known, but I can still stay rooted to where and what I am
spring water, which could be the water from the rain that could
from. This poem reminds me of the Hawaiians who compare the
create the blue color of water on the flower and the spring water.
taro plat as being rooted to the land but at the same time the
Then the poem gives the idea of her being back again. Then the poem describes what the hawk and snake do which is fly and look out from a rock, but in her point of view, suggesting that she is like the animal or is the animal. This relates to what I mentioned
stem and leaves grow out. From this comparison I notice that the Hawaiians and Native Americans shared same fates and they both share the same hurt because the same type of people took their lands away.
earlier about the connection that the Native Americans have to different animals.
This poem is filled with kaona, even though that might not
have been her intention, she wrote this poem with a hidden meaning. To me this hidden meaning behind this poem is that people can leave where they came from in order to pursue something new or different. Like the hawk you will fly to new places and see new things, however you can still be like the snake that stays where it is on the rock, “coiled in the noontime 15
Chapter 3
My Poetry and Commentary This section includes my original poems.
Behind a Smiling Face Behind a smiling face a girl trapped by her feelings damaged by one she loved an arsenal of happiness protects her Behind a smiling face a hard working woman working for family making a living for her girls Behind a smiling face an anger that is too much to bear hurt too much to fathom a heart gashed in half Behind a smiling face Half a daddy’s girl betrayed by the one she thought was there for her looking out the window like a puppy Behind a smiling face behind this smiling face behind their smiling face 17
Trapped
Section 1
Commentary of My Original Poetry “Behind a Smiling Face” The first poem I wrote was meant to portray what my family has been going through for the last few months. We have to interact with other people and often hide how we are feeling which are emotions such as hurt, anger, and sadness. We all go through the day with a smiling face for the sake of others so their day
in this poem were those such as hyperbole, simile and irony. I didn’t have enough words to describe what I alone was feeling because I was just filled with hate, anger, sadness and I couldn’t write a poem just based off of that. So, I needed to gain other inspiration so why no with the people whom I share the problem with?
doesn’t have to be as bad as mine. While writing this poem I
I was shocked at how much emotion I brought out of myself
remember myself thinking that I need to get through to the
when I gained this new inspiration. When I started writing I made
people who are hurting like me so they know someone who is
sure that I brought out each personality of my family members so
like them and they are not alone. I know for a fact that the
they could shine in their own stanzas. I felt that it was harder
happiest people are the ones who have some type of hardship
though to find the correct words instead of what I literally wanted
and they cover it up so they don’t take it out on others.
to say. However, despite the difficulties this is one of my favorite
I broke up the poem so that each stanza would reflect a different member of my family. Some of the literary techniques that I used
poems to have written and to share with others. I like the fact that I am sharing what I am going through. My mom doesn’t want
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us to say what actually happened to too many people so this is
create something that was a piece of art it was amazing to see
my way of getting out my feelings to others without disrespecting
what I was able to accomplish.
my moms’ wishes.
This piece is called “Trapped” and I felt that one way of feeling
Something that was unusual when I was trying to decide what to
trapped is the feeling of being enclosed so that is why I folded an
write about was that I wanted to write about what was going on in
origami box and trap the letters I cut out in it. I wanted there to be
my life. It wasn’t because I wanted others who read it to feel sorry
a literal and metaphorical feel to this piece because it does mean
for me, but it was a way of copping with all my feelings. Since I
so much to me. The literary technique I used for this piece is
can’t tell people what happened I felt like this was the best
personification.
opportunity to share my life in a way where I was comfortable. I’m sure many people are going to feel some sympathy towards me, but I wanted to give them a sense that I am strong by not letting my situation change my attitude towards life. “Trapped” This poem is what it called a concrete poem and it is a poem that can literally come to life. Many people completed their concrete poems two dimensionally, but however I did not. I really had this poem in my mind for the longest time and when I was able to
This piece doesn’t really have much kaona behind it as my other poem, but it is in the same idea. The situation that I am talking about in this concrete poem is the same situation that I am talking about in my other poem. The situation occurring in my life now is something that is affecting me as well as everyone around me. I also wanted to keep a close theme with the other poem so that I would seem more consistent with the type of poetry I write. That is like how Silko is when she writes new literature, she keeps to what she knows which is the situations with the Native Americans. 20
When I saw the final image of my poem I knew that it was something that I wanted to be published because I was proud of it. This is another poem that is about what I am going through and it shows that you can be trapped by something that happened to you. When you are trapped you are restricted and held back from the things around you and that is how I feel as a result of this situation. From what I am going through in my life today I felt like my feelings are trapped within me because I don’t like to talk about it too much to anyone in my family. I also feel like my body/ me as a person is trapped and held back from being able to look at men the same. This situation has given me a different perspective on how men are and how they treat women. So now my feelings towards certain individuals will be trapped inside me resulting in mixed emotions about the male gender.
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Chapter 4
Bibliography
The following was used to create this book.
Bibliography "Leslie Marmon Silko.” Voices From the Gaps: University of Minnesota. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. "Leslie Marmon Silko (American Author)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2013. "Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database." What's New. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. “Leslie Marmon Silko.” Poetry Foundation. n.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2013. "Native American Authors." Leslie Marmon Silko on. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013. Silko, Leslie. “Love Poem.” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 21-22. Print. Silko, Leslie. “Slim Man Canyon.” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 21-22. Print. Silko, Leslie. “Prayer To the Pacific.” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 22-23. Print. Silko, Leslie. “Indian Song: Survival” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 23-24. Print.
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Silko, Leslie. “Hawk and Snake.” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 28. Print. Silko, Leslie. “Horses at Valley Store.” Voices of the Rainbow: Contemporary Poetry by American Indians. Ed. Kenneth Rosen. New York: Viking Press, 1975. 29-30. Print Tyrell, Makana. “Islands Below Makapuʻu.” 2013. N.P. Tyrell, Makana. “Makapuʻu Lighthouse in the Daylight.” 2013. N.P. Tyrell, Makana. “Palm Tree.” 2013. N.P. Tyrell, Makana. “Plumeria Flowers in a Tree.” 2013. N.P. Tyrell, Makana. “Secret Beach Access.” 2013. N.P. Tyrell, Makana. “Behind a Smiling Face.” N.P. 2013. Tyrell, Makana. “Trapped.” N.P. 2013.
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