This poem by Diane Glancy expresses her Native American heritage, with her father, a Cherokee man, serving as the poem's central figure. She illustrates the tension between his Native American identity and the western society he inhabits. The author suggests that although he lives in a state of disconnection from his traditional practices and is employed packing meat, he still identifies as Cherokee.
The author's sentiments towards her father appear to encompass love, respect, and sorrow. The poem evokes a sense of nostalgia, highlighting a feeling of alienation in this world.
The clash between her parents aligns with the overarching theme of the poem. Her father brings home hides and horns from work (symbolizing his heritage), which her (western) mother dismisses. The author takes on the role of an observer throughout the poem.
The hides and horns hold significance, as many Native Americans relied on the wealth provided by bison hides, meat, and all associated products, which is a recurring motif in the poem.
The sonnet follows a rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef, gg. It is thought that Shakespeare wrote this sonnet for a younger beloved. I believe the central theme revolves around loving something that is fleeting more deeply than one appreciates it at its peak. It encapsulates the perspective of someone who cherishes something they know will soon be lost or taken away from them.
<span>Satire is a type of humor displayed in literature and arts that mocks human flaws, injustices, and corruption. Its purpose is to encourage those being criticized to improve, or to alert others to these faults so they can initiate change.
On the other hand, personification—attributing human qualities to ideas—is unrelated to satire and belongs to a different category.</span>
Although we believed as children that there were fears lurking below stairs, we learned to navigate around them when we went for the apples—namely, by turning off the lights and quickly exiting the doorway as we came up.