18 pages • 36 minutes read
Naomi Shihab NyeBurning the Old Year
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1995A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
"Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995)
In her poem “Kindness” (published in The Words Under the Words, 1995), Nye explores the polarity of kindness and sorrow. As absence is explored in “Burning the Old Year,” in “Kindness,” absence is seen as an uncanny tool allowing the reader to find kindness. Times of sorrow lead the reader to appreciate and discover kindness in the world. In the poem, Nye depicts how the duality of the good and the bad periods in life help the reader create a cohesive human experience.
"Two Countries" by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995)
In “Two Countries” (published in The Words Under the Words, 1995), Nye uses delicate metaphor to shape skin as a scope of memory for the speaker’s and readers’ lives. As seen in Nye’s other poetry, the theme of absence proliferates in “Two Countries,” as touch and the absence of touch is used as emotional memory for the body. Loneliness and hope are subsequent themes in the poem.
"The Words Under the Words" by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995)
Written for her sitti (grandmother), in “The Words Under the Words” (the titular poem from The Words Under the Words, 1995), Nye relates an admiring perspective through the exploration of her sitti’s hands, days, voice, and eyes. She lovingly and grievingly writes about her sitti’s life and beliefs, displaying the difficulties of life for her sitti in Jerusalem and celebrating that same life all at once.
"Every day as a wide field, every page" by Naomi Shihab Nye (2021)
Meshing the abstract with the concrete, “Every day as a wide field, every page” is a children’s poem (published in Poetry Magazine, 2021) displaying the power poetry has to connect humanity. In the first stanza, Nye links natural, comforting imagery with the landscape of the reader’s mind to depict how expansive poetry can allow the reader to feel and think. In the second stanza, Nye explains that through poetry, the reader can join with others across the globe; this allows readers everywhere to feel seen and hopeful as a global community.
Further Literary Resources
"Naomi Shihab Nye on Poetry, Humanity, and WiFi" by Barbara Purcell (2020)
In an interview with Barbara Purcell of Sightlines Magazine (2020), Nye answers questions about her position as the country’s Young People Poet’s Laureate. Nye explains her commitment to bringing poetry to “geographically underserved” and “rural communities,” fulfilling her wish to share poetry everywhere it is welcome.
"Trash has long been treasure for poet Naomi Shihab Nye" by Mary Quattlebaum (2020)
Mary Quattlebaum of the Washington Post (2020) interviews Nye following the publication of her children’s poetry publication Cast Away (2020). Nye found inspiration in trash collected on her daily walks, and ideas written down in old journals. She explains her belief that poetry holds power during difficult times, allowing readers and writers to explore various aspects of their identity.
"Resonant Vagabond: An Interview with Naomi Shihab Nye" by Solana d’ Lámant (2006)
In an interview with Solana d’ Lámant of Reunion: The Dallas Review (2006), Nye explains the relationship of community, culture, diversity, and identity within poetry. Nye also answers questions about how poetry entered into her life, and the influence other poets had on her writing.
"Naomi Shihab Nye" by The Barclay Agency
Nye’s entry on her agency website covers all her published works, with links to various videos of events at which she has spoken. There are also various links to articles about her and interviews she has given. Virtual and in person requests for Nye to speak can also be found here.
Related Titles
By Naomi Shihab Nye
