Poetry of Indians

Makanamaikalani Tyrell

Table of Contents

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Introduction 2

Leslie Marmon Silko 5

My Poetry and Commentary 16

Bibliography 22

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

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

Section 1

Biography of Leslie Marmon Silko

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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

Poetry Analysis

The poem “Hawk and Snake” is one of my favorites from Silko.

She talks about going back to somewhere again. I think she

might be going back to the reservation because this poem was

written in 1972 and that is when she would be finished with

college. However, she could have been living somewhere outside

of the reservation and is saying, “Good bye” to the outside world.

It says that, “I go back again walking slow away from the houses

and stores,” which could represent all the buildings that make up

cities where she has been.

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

keeps the outside world from getting into the reservation. The

fields could be the Native American fields for farming and their

lifestyle of living off the land.

She then describes the sky and the earth. This made me think of

the title, “Hawk and Snake” because a hawk flies in the sky and a

snake slithers on the Earth. My predictions about the involvement

of a hawk and snake are confirmed. The next stanza says, “I

recall the others here,” which got me to thinking that she is

referring to herself as an animal. I remember that the Native

Americans have a special connection to animals. So she could

be using that connection to show that she is the same with these

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.

Section

Poetry Analysis of “Hawk and Snake”

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I think the next stanza talks about clouds rolling in because it

says, “And then no longer...” which could mean that the clear

skies have gone away. The poem mentions a blue flower and

spring water, which could be the water from the rain that could

create the blue color of water on the flower and the spring water.

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

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

shade.” This hidden message is an inspiration to me because she

is giving me an idea that I can leave to help a cause or make an

issue known, but I can still stay rooted to where and what I am

from. This poem reminds me of the Hawaiians who compare the

taro plat as being rooted to the land but at the same time the

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.

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Chapter 3

My Poetry and CommentaryThis section includes my original poems.

Behind a Smiling Face

Behind a smiling facea girl trapped by her feelingsdamaged by one she loved

an arsenal of happiness protects her

Behind a smiling facea hard working woman

working for familymaking a living for her girls

Behind a smiling face

an anger that is too much to bearhurt too much to fathoma heart gashed in half

Behind a smiling faceHalf a daddy’s girl

betrayed by the one she thought was there for herlooking out the window like a puppy

Behind a smiling face

behind this smiling facebehind their smiling face

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Trapped

“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

doesn’t have to be as bad as mine. While writing this poem I

remember myself thinking that I need to get through to the

people who are hurting like me so they know someone who is

like them and they are not alone. I know for a fact that the

happiest people are the ones who have some type of hardship

and they cover it up so they don’t take it out on others.

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

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?

I was shocked at how much emotion I brought out of myself

when I gained this new inspiration. When I started writing I made

sure that I brought out each personality of my family members so

they could shine in their own stanzas. I felt that it was harder

though to find the correct words instead of what I literally wanted

to say. However, despite the difficulties this is one of my favorite

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

Section 1

Commentary of My Original Poetry

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us to say what actually happened to too many people so this is

my way of getting out my feelings to others without disrespecting

my moms’ wishes.

Something that was unusual when I was trying to decide what to

write about was that I wanted to write about what was going on in

my life. It wasn’t because I wanted others who read it to feel sorry

for me, but it was a way of copping with all my feelings. Since I

can’t tell people what happened I felt like this was the best

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

create something that was a piece of art it was amazing to see

what I was able to accomplish.

This piece is called “Trapped” and I felt that one way of feeling

trapped is the feeling of being enclosed so that is why I folded an

origami box and trap the letters I cut out in it. I wanted there to be

a literal and metaphorical feel to this piece because it does mean

so much to me. The literary technique I used for this piece is

personification.

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.

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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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