This is one of the most interesting poems I’ve read so far in this class. Coming from a Native American, first of all, is a major step. I don’t think I’ve read much works from many Native Americans before so I’m glad the first one I’ve read had such an impact on me. To start, this poem, or story, is written in a very interesting way, with four -line stanzas for each paragraph identical to a villanelle but without any sort of repetition and longer lines for each stanzas. So far, very unique. The point of the poem is also unique. It’s so interesting to find out that Don Henley worked on preserving the Walden Pond area from being destroyed and that there are actually many more where the writer of this story lives. Also interesting and kind of funny was the fact that I learned something while reading this poem, something that I thought I should know by now but anyway, I liked the narrator’s reaction to the lady in the train acting so excited about the pond when the narrator knew far more history than her and so it was all insignificant to him. Also the way he described his inner thought to the lady’s emotions to the pond. It made laugh out loud because he basically was looking at her like a fool and was angry at her ignorance but he was still respectful enough to not say a word and just ignore it, even though I’m sure that he was going to spend the rest of his trip biting his tongue which makes me feel bad for him. Nobody should ever have to feel like that. That part right there brings me to the end of the poem when the narrator says, “while I, as all Indians have done…, made plans for what I would do and say the next time somebody from the enemy thought I was one of their own.” This last part is so true to me. The poor Native Americans were pushed out of their homelands and treated like THEY were the invaders. They were murdered, abused, destroyed and now they are treated just as bad. They feel, as this poem shows, oppressed, humiliated, and they want to take control. The problem is that they are unable to really do much now because they truly lost their land. Now it belongs to “the people”, not to the “Native Americans”. It’s sort of a shame, because they are obviously bitter and feel robbed. I can only imagine what they feel. I would also feel alienated to all Americans except my own race if I were Native American but I think it’s a burden that they all will have to learn to live with for the entire lives because it’s too late to do anything about it. They cannot recover their land and they never will. America is now made up of the entire world, not just white people who are really just Europeans. America is now a combination of every single race in the entire planet regardless of all those who don’t believe in that. It really is the truth, not one race can ever claim this country as their own. America will always be the world: a COMBINATION of the world. Native Americans will just have to deal with losing their land many, many centuries ago.
This is one of the most interesting poems I’ve read so far in this class. Coming from a Native American, first of all, is a major step. I don’t think I’ve read much works from many Native Americans before so I’m glad the first one I’ve read had such an impact on me.
ReplyDeleteTo start, this poem, or story, is written in a very interesting way, with four -line stanzas for each paragraph identical to a villanelle but without any sort of repetition and longer lines for each stanzas. So far, very unique.
The point of the poem is also unique. It’s so interesting to find out that Don Henley worked on preserving the Walden Pond area from being destroyed and that there are actually many more where the writer of this story lives. Also interesting and kind of funny was the fact that I learned something while reading this poem, something that I thought I should know by now but anyway, I liked the narrator’s reaction to the lady in the train acting so excited about the pond when the narrator knew far more history than her and so it was all insignificant to him. Also the way he described his inner thought to the lady’s emotions to the pond. It made laugh out loud because he basically was looking at her like a fool and was angry at her ignorance but he was still respectful enough to not say a word and just ignore it, even though I’m sure that he was going to spend the rest of his trip biting his tongue which makes me feel bad for him. Nobody should ever have to feel like that.
That part right there brings me to the end of the poem when the narrator says, “while I, as all Indians have done…, made plans for what I would do and say the next time somebody from the enemy thought I was one of their own.” This last part is so true to me. The poor Native Americans were pushed out of their homelands and treated like THEY were the invaders. They were murdered, abused, destroyed and now they are treated just as bad. They feel, as this poem shows, oppressed, humiliated, and they want to take control. The problem is that they are unable to really do much now because they truly lost their land. Now it belongs to “the people”, not to the “Native Americans”. It’s sort of a shame, because they are obviously bitter and feel robbed. I can only imagine what they feel. I would also feel alienated to all Americans except my own race if I were Native American but I think it’s a burden that they all will have to learn to live with for the entire lives because it’s too late to do anything about it. They cannot recover their land and they never will. America is now made up of the entire world, not just white people who are really just Europeans. America is now a combination of every single race in the entire planet regardless of all those who don’t believe in that.
It really is the truth, not one race can ever claim this country as their own. America will always be the world: a COMBINATION of the world. Native Americans will just have to deal with losing their land many, many centuries ago.