18 pages • 36 minutes read
Naomi Shihab NyeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“Bath“ by Amy Lowell (1914-1915)
“Bath” is one of the earliest models of a prose-poem by imagist poet Amy Lowell (1874-1925). Though the “Bath” and “Gate A4” differ in their language and concerns, they are similar in their exploration of the everyday as a possibility for poetry and transformation. “Bath” describes a woman sitting in her bathtub on a sunny day, observing the light’s play on water. The rich image-filled language transforms this mundane experience into an act of grace and freedom. Lowell does not follow poetic meter and formal patterns here, yet the prose-poem is deeply poetic.
“Kindness“ by Naomi Shihab Nye (1994)
“Kindness” showcases the poet’s humanist philosophy and deep sympathy for the human condition. It is one of many poems in Nye’s Words Under Words: Selected Poems. Like “Gate A4,” “Kindness” also emphasizes the importance of understanding the experiences and predicaments of others. To Nye, understanding the sorrow of other people enables humans to find kindness within themselves. Though “Kindness” shares themes with “Gate A4,” it is more melancholy and philosophical in tone. A comparison of the two poems maps the change in the Nye’s poetic trajectory, which enables readers to understand better the depth of the poet’s oeuvre as a whole.
“Blood“ by Naomi Shihab Nye (2003)
Nye’s poem “Blood” differs in tone from the “Kindness,” another poem in the same collection, and her later poem “Gate A4.” The tone in “Blood” is personal and filled with despair and unanswered questions about violence in the world, as exemplified by the Palestinian conflict. The poem also directly references Nye’s father’s Palestinian identity and her childhood as a Palestinian-American girl. In the poem, Nye acknowledges that she does not have any definitive answers, an admission that contributes to the poem’s despairing tone. “Blood” is notable for Nye’s powerful language and metaphors and her exploration of cultural identity.
"Humanizing the 'So-Called Enemy': Teaching the Poetry of Naomi Shihab Nye" by Patricia L Bloem (2011)
In this essay available online by Virginia Tech University, English educator Patricia Bloem highlights how Nye’s poetry is an effective device to teach students how to dismantle their mental barriers of intolerance and cultural conservatism. Bloem’s reading of Nye is rooted in her real-world experience as a teacher and explores Nye’s work from a refreshing, unique angle. She considers how influential Nye’s poems have been in helping students deconstruct mainstream inauthentic portrayals of West Asian people.
“Before You Know Kindness as the Deepest Thing Inside...” by Krista Tippett (2016)
Award-winning journalist Krista Tippet interviews Nye as part of her popular podcast titled “On Being.” The transcript of the interview is filled with insights on Nye’s poetic process and themes, as well as her childhood influences. Tippet explores important topics such as Nye’s cultural identity, her work as a poet for children, and Nye’s striking ability to find poetry in everyday observations and conversations.
"'Wandering Poet' Naomi Shihab Nye Headlines Lowell Memorial Poetry Reading" by John O’ Rourke (2019)
Senior journalist John O’Rourke wrote this piece as a retrospective on Nye in the run-up to a 2019 poetry reading at Boston University. The article offers a summation of the poet’s work, emphasizing Nye as a San-Antonian poet who focusses on the experience of Mexican, South American, and Latinx immigrants and people.
In a powerful rendition, the poet gives listeners a sense of how she intended the poem to be read.
By Naomi Shihab Nye