19 Varieties Of Gazelle
When it comes to poetry there is always a higher meaning in what the author is trying to portray; Naomi Shihab Nye portrays this very well in her writing of 19 Varieties of Gazelle. She introduces us by saying that,
“poetry slows us down, cherishes small details…We need poetry for nourishment and for noticing, for the way language and imagery reach comfortably into experience, holding and connecting it more successfully than any news channel we could name.” (xvi)
If you read between the lines Nye wanted her readers to take her poetry serious and realize the effects that 9/11 had on her culture as well as American’s culture, especially in her case seeing that they both intertwined. Nye also wants us to see that though poetry we tend to take our time and add a personal connection to it, that’s why she states that “it more successfully than any new channel we could name”. When people use poetry it’s almost never a politician or a person of higher authority therefore it’s usually the common folk. That’s what makes it so special to others because it’s someone they feel equal to and have a sense of companionship.
Throughout my reading of this book I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why would Nye name this book 19 Varieties of Gazelle?” As you read you slowly understand why she does this. The number nineteen does represent anything in particular but a bunch, therefore when you visualize 19 different varieties of a gazelle’s you get the sense that none of them are the same, yet at the same time they are of a group that are all called one name. This is very significant in this reading because Nye tries to portray a since of peace and equality amongst EVERYONE, not only the Palestinian’s and American’s. But she focuses on these two cultures in general because she herself and media has made them an issue due to the 9/11 tragedy. It is also significant because not only are humans of different varieties but we are all named as one “humans”. If this is true then you can’t help but wonder “Why can’t we all live in peace?” That’s way Nye’s sole purpose is to try to bring peace amongst everybody and not let a few bad seeds bring down a whole nation. Nye tries to portray this in many themes; some of the common ones are media, violence, contradictory, innocence, culture, language, knowledge, peace, hope, and stereotypes.
Nye’s poetry all has a personal connection with a least one of her readers therefore my favorite poem in 19 Varieties Of Gazelle would have to be Flinn, On The Bus. I feel like this is my favorite poem because out of all her poems when I was doing my analysis on them, this is the only one where I pulled out the most information every other poem after that only added on to the mystery of whom she was and her personal beliefs. This poem touches everyone in both Palestinians and Americans. It shows the innocence of a man getting out of jail and how naïve he is to what is happening around him due to the fact that he has be secluded to a confide jail cell. And how he focuses on just himself and how he is going to better himself. On the other hand the other character is stuck in wonderment of how beautiful that can be and studies Flinn. Flinn faces a sense of freedom that Nye is trying to convey to her readers and shows that through her text.
“Flinn looked at his free hands more than fields, turned them over in his lap”
You see but these things are the obvious in her text. One thing that I noticed in Nye’s text is that although she wants to convey peace amongst people she knows that it will be a hard then for some to grasp. In this poem she shows that throught Flinn:
“It was not hard to nod,
to wish him well. But could I tell
what had happened in the world
on his long awaited day
what twist of rage greater
than we could ever guess
had savaged skylines, thousands of lives?
I could not. He’d find out
soon enough. Flinn, take it easy.
Peace is rough.” (xi)
This raises the question on how would his life in rage after he hears about 9/11? So, maybe that’s why the passenger sees him off with “peace is rough” because it’s going to be hard to refrain emotions and emotions must be released in order to maintain peace and happiness. Revenge, rage, and peace are common threads through this piece of literature which shows a correlation of negativity and how it has to come to a halt in order to maintain peace so it could turn into love, happiness and belonging.
"In the evenings he sat by our beds
Weaving folktales like vivid little scarves.
They always involved a figtree.
Once Joshua was walking down a road
and he saw a fig tree.
Or, he tied his camel to a figtree and went to sleep:
Or, later when they caught and arrested him,
his pockets were full of figs."
The figtree plays a significant part in her father’s life because it reminds him of his childhood in a sense. Almost like a freshly baked apple pie for Americans or the fresh summer breeze for people who live in the country. He also shows an innocent sense of enthusiasm through the poem especially when he calls Nye about his new fig tree in Texas; a place where he finally found home.
Her Grandmother on the other hand played a different type of role in her life and writing. It's almost like a motherly figure. She shows a sense of wisdom and encouragement. Just like almost anybody's grandmother who is always there and understands everyone and everything that is going on around her at all times. Her grandmother kind of reminds me of a MeMa. The Southern type of grandmothers that don't really exist anymore. Someone you could run to in the time of need but was once enslaved so she knows that struggle that she doesn't want her future generations to see. Another thing that her grandmother reminds me of is a wise witch. By witch I mean someone who practices healing powers, almost like an oracle or something of that matter. She knows what others do not know due to the fact that she is wise and has an open mind. Majority of people know in days are narrow minded and this makes it hard for them to see the big picture of what is going on around them.
Overall, Nye shows her dedication to family, peace, love, culture and poetry through her 60 writings in 19 Varieties of Gazelle, and I hope that everyone can get a sense of the peace that she demands from the world as well as the misinterpretation that the media has set on her culture. Which I believe could be very influential to various people if they just take the time to read her work and open up their minds.
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