Sherman+Alexie

Christopher Meza

Sherman Joseph Alexie, Jr. is of Native American descent and was born on October 7, 1966 in Wellpinit, Washington. He is an American poet, writer, and filmmaker. Much of his writing draws on his experiences as a Native American. He currently lives in Seattle Washington with his wife and two kids.

He attended Reardan High School in eighth grade. His achievements in high school led to his acceptance to Spokane's Jesuit Gonzaga University in 1985. He had a successful academic career. Alexie transferred to Washington State University in 1987 and began writing poetry. By 1996, he was named to Granta's Best of Young American Novelists list. Alexie continues to write poetry and novels. He receives praise for the energy and emotion he brings to his works.

Alexie after cutting his traditional hair. Alexie before cutting his traditional hair.

__**GOOD HAIR by Sherman Alexie**__

And pray that your father grave-awakes and climbs your braids?
Copyright © 2011 by Sherman Alexie.

LINK TO POEM --> https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/good-hair

This is a very interesting poem by Sherman Alexie. He used to have long flowing hair that brought out his Native American-like features. However, Alexie cut his traditional hair. He writes this in a story. It seems as though he is writing about himself after he cut his hair. Throughout the entire poem I began to wonder why Alexie really cut his hair. He's taunted by voices asking him why he cut his braids. He's asked if he cut them to donate to cancer patients, if he felt like a disgrace as a Native American, or if he had lice. Every sentence in this poem is a question asking why he did so. Another interesting fact about Alexie is that his father was an alcoholic and died when Alexie was young. The last two stanzas of the poem suggest that Alexie may have cut his hair due to the loss of his father. This poem leaves me as a reader guessing why he cut his hair. No answers arise from the endless questions in the poem.

There is a lot of imagery that Alexie uses in his short poem. I see a stressed out man who couldn't help but cut his hair due to harsh times, "Did you cut your hair after your sister's funeral?" (line 21), "Did you cut your hair after booze murdered your father?" (line 27), or maybe he cut it because he felt like a disgrace to Native Americans. "Are you warrior-pretend? Are you horseback-never? Was your drum-less, drum-less life disguised by your braids?" (line 5-6). The diction is very strong because you can almost hear the seriousness asked with each question. He also uses repetition throughout the poem. He repeats the line "Hey, Indian boy, why (why!) did you slice off your braids?" This repetition makes the poem stronger and also throws in some emotion the person may be feeling. The word "why" followed by another "why" with an exclamation mark proves that people around him are concerned because they question him about the new haircut. Alexie's structure is two lines per stanza. He ends every stanza with the word "braids". There is rhythm present in this poem, but the only reason why it sounds like its rhyming is because of the constant use of the word "braids". When reading this, you can tell that the tone is serious and concerned.

This is a very repetitive poem that seems to be talking about the author himself at the point in time where he cut his hair. However, while reading this poem, no answers are given as to why the person in the poem cut his hair. All that is given are endless question that may be clues as to why he may have done so. This will forever leave a reader guessing.



__**DANGEROUS ASTRONOMY by Sherman Alexie**__

And thought I was more important than the stars.
From //Face // by Sherman Alexie. Copyright © 2009 by Sherman Alexie.

LINK TO POEM --> https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/dangerous-astronomy LINK TO VISUAL PRESENTATION OF POEM --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV6C1OkSTS0

The whole world does not revolve around one person or thing. In this poem, Sherman Alexie writes about a father who wants to praise the stars but instead tries to comfort his baby son. Unfortunately, his comfort is not enough to calm the baby, so the mother comforts the baby instead and feeds him. This makes the father a little jealous because his love as a father was not enough like the love of a mother. In the end, the father learns a valuable lesson after he turns to God and asks for forgiveness. In this poem, Alexie uses a variety of techniques and methods of writing when he talks about the father's role.

As a male, this poem speaks to me. Although I am not a father myself, I do understand that the love from a child for a mother is more precious than the love for a father. It is because the mother is there most of the time to provide, nurse, and care for babies. "It's hard For fathers to compete with mothers' love." (line 8). In this line, the father feels like he cannot compare to the mother's love. He also feels envious towards his son because his son is more important than the stars. Everything around him seems to be more important than the stars that the father wanted to praise so badly. "His comfort was more important than the stars" (line 3), "His mother was more important than the stars" (line 6). Alexie uses words like "compete" and "dull and jealous" (line 10) to show the father's jealousy. For men, and especially fathers, it is very easy to understand where the father in this story is coming from. The father soon comes to a realization that he may have been wrong and there was no need for jealousy. He asks God for forgiveness because he thought that the things he wants to praise were more important than anything else even his family. Alexie uses a lot of symbolism, rhyming and metaphors.

The rhyme scheme Alexie uses is AbA abA abA abA abA abAA. His style is very formal because of the way the structure of the poem is organized. Yet his style is very interesting. The last word on the first line in each stanza rhymes with the last word on the last line in that stanza. The tone addressed in the beginning of the poem seems to be spoken in a moody and jealous tone. However, towards the end when the father learns his lesson, the tone shifts to a more sincere and calm tone after he asks for forgiveness from God. "As selfish father, I wanted to pull apart My comfortable wife and son. Forgive me, Rough God," (lines 16-18).

Alexie uses symbolism in his poem starting with the stars, which represent several things.The stars are a pretty obvious symbol. Stars are mentioned just about everywhere in the poem. On line 9, Alexie uses a simile when he says "mothers illuminate like the stars!" In this line, Alexie describes mothers as a representation of light and kindness/sweetness. On line 12, the father feels "less important than the farthest star." The "farthest star" is just a phrase to describe his own emotional distance between him and his wife and boy. "Was my comfort more important than the stars?" (line 15). Here, Alexie uses a rhetorical question to measure his value between his family. In this poem, stars are not just some shining, bright, gaseous light in the night sky. Alexie uses them to symbolize many things. He also brings in God as a sign of religion and forgiveness after reading lines 16-18.

By the end of the poem, the father realizes that family is the most important thing. It is far more important than one's own desires and feelings. I believe that that is the point Alexie wants readers to understand and I completely agree. Alexie uses his skills in writing to develop a well written poem to convey a message to every reader.

__**GRIEF CALLS US TO THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD by Sherman Alexie**__ //The morning air is all awash with angels. . .// - Richard Wilbur

The eyes open to a blue telephone In the bathroom of this five-star hotel.

I wonder whom I should call? A plumber, Proctologist, urologist, or priest?

Who is most among us and most deserves The first call? I choose my father because

He’s astounded by bathroom telephones. I dial home. My mother answers. “Hey, Ma,

I say, “Can I talk to Poppa?” She gasps, And then I remember that my father

Has been dead for nearly a year. “S--t, Mom," I say. “I forgot he’s dead. I’m sorry—

How did I forget?” “It’s okay," she says. “I made him a cup of instant coffee

This morning and left it on the table— Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years—

And I didn’t realize my mistake Until this afternoon.” My mother laughs

At the angels who wait for us to pause During the most ordinary of days

And sing our praise to forgetfulness Before they slap our souls with their cold wings.

Those angels burden and unbalance us. Those f---ing angels ride us piggyback.

Those angels, forever falling, snare us And haul us, prey and praying, into dust.

From //Face // by Sherman Alexie. Copyright © 2009 by Sherman Alexie.

LINK TO POEM --> https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/grief-calls-us-things-world

We all grieve the lost of a loved one. In this short poem, Sherman Alexie seems to be writing about himself calling home asking for his father but quickly remembers that his father has been dead for nearly a year. Although it is a short poem it is very powerful as Alexie uses techniques and themes to deliver a dramatic feeling that leaves readers in awe.

Alexie starts off the poem with a man, what seems to be himself, in a five star hotel bathroom with a blue telephone. He wonders who he should call. He decides to want to call his father because his father loves bathroom telephones. The beginning of this poem starts off as a regular day for the man. The tone seems to be a normal, maybe happy because he was anxious to call his father from the blue hotel phone, up until he asks his mother to pass the phone to his father. "He’s astounded by bathroom telephones. I dial home. My mother answers. 'Hey, Ma, I say, 'Can I talk to Poppa?' She gasps, And then I remember that my father Has been dead for nearly a year." (Lines 7-11). At this moment, the tone shifts once the man and his mother remember that the father passed away. I, as a reader, can see the emotional build-up here. It sounds like there is a pause after his mother gasps. The tone shifts to a more sorrowful voice after that gasp. "I forgot he's dead. I'm sorry―How did I forget?" (Lines 12-13). For the rest of the poem you can see the anger and emotion building up as Alexie mentions the angels that makes him and his mother feel burdened. "Those angels burden and unbalance us. Those f---ing angels ride us piggyback. Those angels, forever falling, snare us And haul us, prey and praying, into dust." (Lines 23-26). Here, Alexie uses repetition of "those angels" to express his anger. He also uses a hyperbole as he does not literally mean that the angels are riding them piggyback, snaring them, and hauling them into dust. The diction Alexie uses helps show his anger/grief and sorrow as well: "gasps," "I forgot," "S--t," "f---king,".

This is a very interesting poem. Alexie doesn't just write stories. He writes real life experiences. In this poem he writes about the agony people face after losing a loved one. It is very hard to break out of a normal habit, like the mother, for instance. In lines 13-18, the mother mentions how she too has forgotten that the father died. She continues the habit of making a cup of coffee in the morning for her husband because she has been doing that for twenty-seven years. "'I made him a cup of instant coffee This morning and left it on the table — Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years — And I didn’t realize my mistake Until this afternoon,'” (Lines 14-18). This poem is very powerful because it makes us readers see that it is hard to let go of something or someone we love.

There is no rhyme in this poem. This poem is written in free verse. There is no regular meter and no rhyme. Alexie uses symbols throughout his poem, though. First he mentions a "blue telephone". I believe this wouldn't be a symbol if he didn't mention the color of the phone. In some cases, the color blue can represent peace, cleanliness, loyalty, or depression. In this case, it makes sense for the phone to be represented as a sign of depression. It is clear that the man in the poem always feels depressed after remembering that his father is dead. Another symbol used by Alexie are the angels mentioned on line 19. The angels are used to symbolize the emotions that the man and his mother feels. Sometimes they are happy and laugh. "My mother laughs At the angels," (line 18-19). Other times they weep or are depressed.

Alexie wrote this poem to, perhaps, express his grief and anger over the loss of his father. The overall sorrowful mood he creates helps establish the theme of the poem which is to not take advantage of people's deaths because they will come back to haunt you. They won't haunt you physically but emotionally just like the man Alexie wrote about in his story.

"The Trail of Tears" Oil painting by Max D. Standley

1 Cain lifts Crow, that heavy black bird and strikes down Abel. Damn, says Crow, I guess this is just the beginning.
 * __CROW TESTAMENT by Sherman Alexie__**

2 The white man, disguised as a falcon, swoops in and yet again steals a salmon from Crow's talons. Damn, says Crow, if I could swim I would have fled this country years ago.

3 The Crow God as depicted in all of the reliable Crow bibles looks exactly like a Crow. Damn, says Crow, this makes it so much easier to worship myself.

4 Among the ashes of Jericho, Crow sacrifices his firstborn son. Damn, says Crow, a million nests are soaked with blood.

5 When Crows fight Crows the sky fills with beaks and talons. Damn, says Crow, it's raining feathers.

6 Crow flies around the reservation and collects empty beer bottles but they are so heavy he can only carry one at a time. So, one by one, he returns them but gets only five cents a bottle. Damn, says Crow, redemption is not easy.

7 Crow rides a pale horse into a crowded powwow but none of the Indian panic. Damn, says Crow, I guess they already live near the end of the world.

LINK TO POEM --> http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/crow-testament/