Through concrete significant details, most of these poems are cemented in specific locales. Wielding different metaphors and imagery, these locales serve as a place of roots and reminders of natural beauty and human destruction through colonialism, persecution and industrialization. Humans, through different words in different languages have invented so many different ways to express connection with the earth. Many perceive humans as a vital part of the earth, but not the ruler of the earth. The earth is seen as all powerful or a nurturer or both. The eurocentric view of human superiority to the earth seeks to separate humans, especially humans who are subjected to the plight of colonialism, from the majesty of the earth. I think that these poems, by describing nature, place, geography reclaim both metaphysical and physical spaces the speakers hold dear.
The imagery in Rin’s poem guided me to a specific time period in the speaker’s life and how her unhappiness with age grew with what I am assuming to be the destruction and industrialization of Marunouchi. The first image of when the speaker “plucked wildflowers” leads the audience to believe the narrative of this poem may be destructive- because the speaker is plucking wildflowers (Language for a New Century 78). Consonants (p,l,c,k,d) harshen the word “plucked”- the connotation of the word implies destruction. The speaker acknowledges their compliance and participation in the industrialization of an untamed habitat during the first line. It is only in the last line when the speaker realizes their hand in killing nature and thus killing themselves. Rin writes, “The thin green stem I once squeezed was my own neck” (Language 79). The speaker powerfully implies that nature and humanity is one.
I felt that Gurung’s poem was about the not so straight and narrow journey that any person might feel when connecting to their spirituality or religion. This love letter to the temple of sorts brings a sense of peace and stability no matter what the circumstances. The fourth stanza suggests that the speaker is criticized heavily for their religious beliefs or actions but whose connection with the temple and thus their religion is so incredibly strong that the “thoughtless man” and the one with the “barren heart” could not siege the speaker’s connection to their temple (Language 512). The temple of course doubles as a spiritual and physical location as most places of worship do. However, the speaker’s identity is so grounded in this particular temple one gets the sense that if it were to be destroyed the speaker too would be destroyed. Even in the face of persecution, the speaker feels “pride” (Language 512). To me, this is the essence of resistance. Place gives the speaker a spiritual and physical grounding through which to resist and exist.
I really love this piece of your analysis: "To me, this is the essence of resistance. Place gives the speaker a spiritual and physical grounding through which to resist and exist." The way that the speaker asserts, "I feel a pride" shifts throughout the poem, and the repetition and re-assertion absolutely feels like an act of resistance.
ReplyDeleteAt first, the speaker simply declares how the temple makes her feel. The reader imagines that the speaker is inside the temple, protected by its walls from outside forces. Then, the speaker says, "I feel a pride / no matter how troubled I might be." The temple is placed in direct contrast to the unwelcoming outside world. The speaker spends some time describing that world, highlighting the ways that people on "the street" respond to her and make her feel like she metaphorically "die[s] on the road." But by ending the poem with "nevertheless I feel a pride," the speaker re-centers herself through the religious experience of being inside this temple. It seems as though the physical place is less important (the pride is "neither of stone / nor of wood / nor of earth"); simply thinking of her connection to religion and the temple "gives the speaker a spiritual and physical grounding," as Bri so eloquently argues.
Bam! Bri, this is a very good explication of this poem on all its layers. While it's only one representation of the topic at hand, it does provide an interesting twist on the sense of expansion of erasure of space (or a person in the place). I love this: The temple of course doubles as a spiritual and physical location as most places of worship do. However, the speaker’s identity is so grounded in this particular temple one gets the sense that if it were to be destroyed the speaker too would be destroyed. Even in the face of persecution, the speaker feels “pride” (Language 512). To me, this is the essence of resistance.
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