Aim. A writer’s aim is his or her purpose, or goal. People may write to inform (informative/expository writing); to tell a true or invented story (narrative writing); to reflect (personal/expressive writing); to share a perspective meant to entertain, enrich, or enlighten (imaginative writing); or to persuade readers to respond in some way (persuasive/argumentative writing). Many literary works fall under more than one of these categories. For example, an article about water pollution could be both informative and persuasive. A letter could be both narrative and personal/expressive. Based on the title of this poem, what do you think the author’s aim, or aims, might be?
Flashback. A flashback is a part of a story, poem, or play that presents events that happened prior to the time in which the literary work takes place. Writers use flashbacks in many ways. One common way is to begin a work with a final event or situation and then to go back to the rest of the story or to an event that happened prior to that situation, as a way to explain how that event or situation came about. Another common technique is to begin a story in the middle of the action and then to use a flashback to fill in the events that occurred before the opening of the story. As you read, identify the flashback in the poem.
Assonance. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonant sounds, as with the long i sound in lime light. Identify phrases in this poem in which assonance is used.
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• Many stories and traditions from southwestern Native American cultures center around corn, often referred to as one of the “three sisters” along with beans and squash. Corn, or maize, is a domesticated plant native to the Americas. Over thousands of years, Native Americans cultivated maize from a wild grass originally growing in southern Mexico to the husked ear of corn with fused kernels found today. Traditionally, corn was an important crop and was eaten at every meal. All parts of the corn plant were used—the husks were braided and woven into masks, moccasins, sleeping mats, baskets, and dolls. After the kernels were removed, the corncobs were used for fuel, ceremonial decorations, and games. Today in the United States, 60 million acres of farmland are used to grow corn, making it the most widespread crop in the country.
• An important theme in the traditions and writings of many Native American cultures is the relationship between humans and nature. Many indigenous people agree that humans should coexist with nature rather than try to control it. This philosophy came into direct conflict with that of white European settlers, who tended to view nature as a resource to be used at will.
Think of someone close to you. What memories come to mind when you think of that person?
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