Layli Long Soldier — WHEREAS my eyes land on the shoreline
Nov 27, 2020
auto_awesome
Layli Long Soldier, an acclaimed poet and recipient of the Lannan Fellowship, discusses her impactful work stemming from a U.S. Congress resolution on Native histories. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging grief and trauma through poetry. The conversation also touches on the significance of authenticity, especially in emotional expressions within families. Observing her child's journey highlights the power of vulnerability, illustrating how words can bridge the gap between internal struggles and external acknowledgment.
Layli Long Soldier emphasizes the importance of authentic emotional expression, advocating for vulnerability rather than the concealment of pain.
The critique of the U.S. government's formal apology highlights the need for genuine engagement with Native experiences and historical trauma.
Deep dives
The Burden of Truth in Poetry
Poetry serves as a powerful medium for expressing deep truths, particularly those tied to personal and collective pain. The poet reflects on the necessity of confronting uncomfortable realities rather than resorting to shallow comforts, encouraging vulnerability in the face of suffering. This sentiment is illustrated through a poignant personal anecdote involving her daughter, who, after a fall, attempts to mask her pain with a smile, reflecting a learned behavior of hiding genuine emotions. The poem asserts that true authenticity in expressing feelings, whether through lament or joy, is crucial for healing and understanding one's history.
Language and the Political Landscape
The critique of public language is at the heart of the poem, particularly in response to a formal apology issued by the U.S. government that lacked genuine engagement with Native peoples. The poet unmasks the superficiality of this apology, which is filled with bureaucratic language and devoid of meaningful acknowledgment or consultation with those it purports to represent. By taking the structure of the apology—specifically the repetitive 'whereas' statements—and transforming it into poetry, the poet invites a more profound critique of how language can both reveal and conceal truth in political contexts. This engagement underlines the necessity for language that accurately represents lived experiences and honors the depth of historical trauma.
Intergenerational Impact of Lament
The poem explores the theme of intergenerational learning and the implications of societal expectations surrounding emotional expression. The connection between the poet and her daughter illustrates how behaviors around lament and pain are often inherited, with the daughter unknowingly mirroring her mother's reluctance to fully express hurt. This recognition leads to a broader reflection on the historical trauma faced by Native peoples and how such legacies impact current generations. Ultimately, the poem calls for a re-examination of what it means to properly acknowledge and confront suffering, asserting that true healing and reparative measures cannot occur if past injustices are merely glossed over with insincere apologies.
Layli Long Soldier – is the recipient of the 2015 Lannan Fellowship for Poetry and a 2015 National Artist Fellowship from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. Her first book of poetry, WHEREAS, won the Whiting Award and was named a finalist for the National Book Award. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.