Poetry Supermarket/ Momaday

http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/poems/Tsoai-talee.html

1. N. Scott. Momaday, was a Native Amercian ; and in his writings, especially "The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee", it is quite evident. That poem starts out as a "Where I'm from" format: the phrase "I am" is continuosly repeated throughout the first half of the poem. The things and phrases that are used to describe who he is, pertain to; if not directly to, someone of Native American decent. Momaday grew up on a reservation. Statements such as " I am: a feather on the bright sky, the shadow that follows a child, the evening light, the lustre of meadows, an eagle playing with the wind, and a cluster of bright beads", elude to his Native culture. Throughout readings of Native Amercian literature, they always pay tribute to and in some way write about those things that symbolize their culture. Momaday calls himself the bright sky, feather, wind and bright beads; all of which describe how the Natives lived and dressed. In a way, Momaday can be viewed as a contemporary romanticist: by the way his writings appeal to nature and his surroundings. For this poem makes references to the setting of a reservation.

2. The theme of "The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee", in my opinion is identity. In this poem the repeatitive use of the phrase " I am" shows someone making a declarative statement. Momamday or the narrator is declaring who they are. By the declarations it can be assumed that this person is Native American. Nevertheless, their nationality is not stated, therefore we are just left with the though of someone affirming thir identity and letting us know what they are but not whom. Despite this being not being a speech, a use of emotinal rhetoric is being used. As it was already pre-stated, the phrase "I am" was used in a repeatitive fashion. This is use of rhetoric appeals to the readers emotions. The repeated phrase grabs the attention to the reader. If it were a speech, listeners would have attached themselves and began to reapet the phrase along with them as is was given. This poem could possibly be deemed as motivational, with hopes that the phrase "I am" would motivate someone to declare who they are and become confident.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/angle-of-geese/

3. In the " Angle of Geese", Momaday once again makes a referance to is Native Amercian culture. In the latter part of the poem, he talks about hunting for geese. It can be assumed that this is a reference to his culture because of what is known as "general knowledge" of the Natives. It is known that the Native men were to hunt for the food for their families. It is also known that the Natives lived in reservstions or on a plain. Particularly for them, geese were a common abundance for them as food. In the earlier part of the poem Momaday is illustrating a real life situation. Because of the verbage being used, you can assume it is an American situation. He is talking about the death of a child. The assumption comes from the play on words when he uses the term wake. A wake is something that is affiliated with catholicism, that follows death. Most Amercians are catholic, thus the assumption being made. He also beings to discuss the American dialect; how it differs from others. He talks about how the typical American would verbally express remorse and saddness toward this particaular happening. Now he begans to show his "true" American influence by writing about maybe what he may consider a problem for Americans. He also maybe trying to show the difference between Americans and other; maybe trying to prove whether it is better or worst, more advanced or less advanced, more emotional or less emotional.

4. Nothing distictinly makes the author American by their works. However, in a way, it eludes to it. The history of America is quite rich and America has been known as a "melting pot". Because of this identity, their are various types of Americans. I believe that the acknowledgement of their own culture and discussion and theme of American society shows that they are American poets. More so with " Angle of Geese" in comparison to " The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee", this thought is prominent. Momaday took an situation, explored the American way the situation would be handled, and compared it to a more cultural situation of his time. This seems to be the way American poets are identified without or outside of stating that the poet is American