So let's get started. We'll look at two poems by Joy Harjo, a poet and jazz musician who is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Indian tribe.
'Eagle Poem.' When was interviewed on Jim Leherer's TV news show, she recited "Eagle Poem," considered one of her best. Click here to follow the words. (She leaves out part of the poem. She's on TV, after all, and TV viewers have short attention spans. Right?) Then we hear some of her music, and she talks some more about her art.
Here's what's going on in "Eagle Poem." Harjo looks up in the sky and sees an eagle riding a thermal, circling around up in the sky. It fills her with awe. It's like praying. That's it. Simple. Direct and to the point.
Some things to think about, then write two or three paragraphs in answer. Eagles are messengers of God in her tradition. Kind of like angels in traditional Christianity. Does that work for you? And she prays by opening herself to nature, "[t]o sky, to earth, to sun, to moon." Can you see praying that way? Do you tend, like so many of us, to put religion and poetry in different "boxes?" What about religion and art in general? Think about different churches you may have attended, differences in visual art like paintings, sculpture, stained glass, etc., the different styles of music in different services. What's the same? What's different? How do you respond to a poem that's written by somebody who is obviously getting in touch with values from another culture that we may not share? Or are there values there that we all share, even if we express them differently?
'Remember.' Another of Harjo's most popular poems is called "Remember." There are two versions on the World Wide Web, one with musical background and one with Webtext explanations by Virginia Commonwealth University student Kellie Cruz. Here's a passage I like:
Remember the sky that you were born under,What do you make of that? (Personal disclosure: I've never been in a bar in Iowa City, but I used to go to Gonzo's in Davenport. I never saw the moon there!) When she was interviewed by Jim Leherer, Harjo spoke of taking old things in her poetry, tribal things, and making them new, rejuvenating them. Is that what's going on here? I don't know. What do you think? Here's another line that's sort of like that:
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is. I met her
in a bar once in Iowa City.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows theThat's Fourth and Central in Albuquerque, by the way. Here's a picture. It's right downtown. Does it look like the place you'd expect the wind to be singing Native American war dance songs? Where you'd find the origin of the universe?
origin of this universe. I heard her singing Kiowa war
dance songs at the corner of Fourth and Central once.
Re-read both poems. How much in them seems to reflect Harjo's heritage as a member of the Muscogee nation? How much seems universal -- in other words, common to all people -- and how much is a blend of the two? Are there some things about poetry, music -- the arts -- that transcend cultural boundaries? How do we respond to art across cultures?
Your in-class assignment for today: Watch the TV segment with Joy Harjo, listen to her poem, read it over afterward and post a good two or paragraphs (at least two or three sentences each) on your response to Harjo, her poetry and her music. Be specific. Don't be afraid to quote.
Here are some quetions that are designed to get you thinking. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What about this work stands out in my mind?We'll ask ourselves variations on these questions all semester. Please note: If you were taught in English class never to say "I" in a paper for school, you're off the hook in this class! There's no way you can write about these questions without saying "I." I guarantee it.
2. What in my background, values, needs and interests makes me react that way?
3. What specific things in the work trigger that reaction?
Keep these three questions in the back of your mind. We'll keep coming back to them.
5 comments:
Everyone has their own religion and their own beliefs. If her tradition is to pray to sun, to clouds, to moon, ext. that is what she believes, that is her praying to God and there is no problem with that. What I was thinking was that she was trying to tell others there are other ways of praying and to not be affraid of what you see and believe. This lady is expressing where she comes from and how nature is all apart of us.
Everyone has their own religion and own way of expressing that religion. I feel that when we pray we open ourselves up. However I feel that we open ourselves up to God not the moon, earth, sun, etc. People have different ways of praying too. Some pray to the Heavenly Father and other pray to Mary. Most people think of praying as bowing the head and folding the hands. Sometimes I pray with my eyes wide open. Its not about how you pray.
I can say that going to different churches, there is always one thing in common. The people are there to worship and to praise. The differences are how they go about doing that. Some churches are contemporary and others are strictly hymns. Again, it doesn't matter how you worship, its that you worship.
I like hearing about other cultures and how they pray and worship. This gives me insight to how other religions are different or the same as my Southern Baptist faith.
I feel that the Eagle poem, to me, has a feeling of peace and relaxation. The circle of life happens to everyone and should be accepted and praised. The eagle in the sky makes me feel at ease withe the world, kind of like it was me looking down over all I have and the life I lead. Eagles as messengers of God works. Everyone has their own belief and if she believes that the eagle overhead is watching out and guiding her, okay. I don't see why opening myself to praying by way of nature wouldn't work because God created everything, and by accepting all of God's creations, she is now able to be heard more clearly. After seeing a few different churches, I have realized that many of the stained glass windows are supposed to portray the same images but in a different light. The music is the same, but the people that sing them are very different. Some images are more realistic than others. I would try to respond to the poem as openly as possible. I try not to say that something is wrong because it is not what I believe. I'm sure there are values that everyone shares but are expressed very differently. No one person thinks alike or believes the same as another person and that is perfectly fine.
There are many different religions, cultures, and beliefs in the world. Everyone has their own way of praying and her way of praying is to the sun, sky, earth, and moon. Depending on what people believe, they may choose to pray to different Gods, animals, objects, etc. I think that whatever someone believes in is their choice, and that they can pray to what they believe in based on their religion or culture. I do not feel that I should judge what someone else thinks because I would not want them to judge me for what I believe.
Based on the different churches that I have attended, they all have similar ways of worshiping. While they may have slightly different values and beliefs, all are worshiping the same God. Everyone has their own opinions on things and they should be able to express their beliefs based on their ideas.
Not only are Eagles a symbolic religious symbol in the Native American cultures, they can also be found in hymns at church. Such as the song "On Eagles Wings." Like angels, eagles also play a part in our religion. I find these two figures to be similar. Eagles and Angels both share the dame characteristic, such as having wings. In this song the wings of and eagle will lift you up. I'm sure that there are many cultures that share similar rituals and figures that represent the same thing.
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