Dori Week 6 PAP- The Psychology of Landscapes

    In her poem “South,” Natasha Trethewey recounts her observations and inner dialogue as she revisits Mississippi, where she grew up. The poem begins with a quote from E. O. Wilson, saying, “Homo sapiens is the only species to suffer psychological exile.” I was intrigued from the start to find out how this quote would function: whether it would be a framework, a supporting statement, or something she would counter. Through her choices of imagery, shift in focus, and symbolism, I can conclude that this quote from E. O. Wilson was used to prove her overall point in a more abstract, compelling sense. 

    For example, Trethewey uses imagery by describing what may appear to be small details of the Mississippi landscape. She writes, “I returned to a stand of pines, bone-thin phalanx flanking the roadside, tangle of understory--a dialectic of dark and light--and magnolias blossoming like afterthought.” This description of various parts of the natural landscape, which may seem unimportant, actually is critical in allowing me to envision what Trethewey is observing. Similarly, Trethewey incorporates symbolism as she writes, “...mangrove, live oak, gulfweed razed and replaced by thin palms--palmettos--symbols of victory or defiance, over and over marking this vanquished land.” Through explaining the deeper meanings behind minute details, I can better understand why she decides to include them. She sets up her following discussion of victories and defiances experienced by oppressed generations of slaves/former slaves. These choices also help me to feel more connected to her words as the poem leads to her overarching message.  

    From the poem’s shift in first illustrating the Mississippi landscape to later discussing the racist history of it (beginning at, “I returned to a field of cotton..”), I truly felt more immersed in the emotional impact of her words and message. Specifically, the quote, “Where the roads, buildings, and monuments are named to honor the Confederacy, where that old flag still hangs, I return to Mississippi, state that made a crime of me--mulatto, half-breed--native in my native land, this place they’ll bury me” drives the theme of remembering your oppression and taking power over it. This theme reminded me of the story we read in class, The Appropriation of Cultures, as protagonist Daniel does the same thing: he confronts symbols of racism and possesses ownership over them, not allowing such racist symbols to hurt him anymore. 

    I found this poem very inspirational to read, and by the end, I came up with multiple theories as to what the E. O. Wilson quote in the beginning is actually referring to. I think psychological exile may refer to the idea that racism is a problem rooted in the unfortunate psychological perspectives or created stereotypes that individuals choose to believe. I also think “exile” could be interpreted as “struggle,” which may be experienced from seeing a beautiful landscape and then having to come to terms with the ugly truth behind it--how the fields of cotton and crops that may seem “pretty” on the outside were, in reality, worked by mistreated and enslaved people who were suffering on Mississippi land. 

    What are your thoughts on the poem? How do you interpret the quote Trethewey begins with, and why do you think she chooses it? 

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55931/south-56d237f86b13b 

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 5, 2021 at 8:14 AM

    Hey Dori, I really enjoyed reading your interpretation of this poem and how you analyzed the landscape in relation to the author's emotions. I agree that although a place may look beautiful, it is most important to learn about the history of that place to gain a deeper understanding of it. I believe that the author chose to begin with that quote because it resonates deeply with so many people. Humans truly are the only species that live physically in one place yet can feel completely, emotionally removed from it. As referenced in the poem, slaves physically lived in Mississippi and in the South, but they felt psychologically exiled. Unfortunately, humans all over the world have physically lived in places where they did not feel remotely accepted, so the quote offers a moment for readers to think and relate to the fact that landscape is just one mere aspect of a place.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaac Week 1 - "1969" by Alex Dimitrov

Image
  The poem "1969" by Alex Dimitrov looks at the moon landing and uses it to symbolize how everyone is looking at the future as if they are living in it in the present, and how everyone looks towards living in peace even though they constantly live in war. Dimitrov describes how we came to the moon "in peace for all mankind then returned to continue the war".  The title "1969" signifies the date of the moon landing, but does more in that it is a past date that looks forward to a bright future. It is a year where it was shown that certain things that may have seemed impossible may become possible in the upcoming years in the future. It is a title that both looks back at the past, but also looks forward to a bright future.  I agree with the message of the poem of looking forward to the future, but I also think that focusing on the present is very important which I think is something that the author emphasizes. We are living in a world that is not reality, and...
Read more

Ethan Week 3- “Looking at a Coyote”, by Javier Zamora

Image
“ Looking at a Coyote ” by Javier Zamora is a symbolic poem about the relationship between an Illegal immigrant, such as Javier Zamora coming from Mexico, and a Coyote. The title, “ Looking at a Coyote ,” is very significant as it conveys the underlying message of the poem. More specifically, when looking at a Coyote, one observes an animal that is a vicious predator who, at the same time, is a scavenger, always moving and searching for food as well as a better life. The author is trying to illustrate a comparison between how many Americans view illegal immigrants, at first sight, today, and how they actually are. Many Americans view them as animals, predators, not humans. They view them as invasive species that must be gotten rid of. They feel that the illegals are coming to steal their resources and their jobs, similar to a Coyote stealing another animal’s food. In my opinion, we should have a legal path to citizenship and, at the same time, we as Americans need to also be more compa...
Read more

Dan Week 1 - "Grief Calls Us to the Things of this World" by Sherman Alexie

 In his poem "Grief Calls Us to the Things of this World," Sherman Alexie describes a call with his mother through a hotel bathroom telephone and their shared conflicting emotions about Alexie's father that arise from the conversation. The tone of the poem shifts from a simple decision to call his father because "he's astounded by bathroom telephones" to a deep sense of self-reflection from both Alexie and his mother, asking themselves how they possibly could have forgotten that Alexie's father is dead.  While Sherman and his mother's initial reactions are to feel guilty for their forgetfulness, their mistakes are actually a result of their undying love for their father/husband. When Sherman decides to phone his father, he isn't even thinking about the incredibly obvious fact that his dad is dead (rendering him unable to answer a phone call) because all he is thinking about at the moment is that he is u sing a bathroom phone and he needs to tell ...
Read more