Poetry Unbound Layli Long Soldier — WHEREAS my eyes land on the shoreline
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Nov 27, 2020 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.
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Daughter's Fall
- Layli Long Soldier describes her daughter's reaction to a fall, feigning laughter instead of crying.
- She connects this to a learned behavior, mirroring how she herself suppresses grief in the face of historical trauma.
Poetry and Politics
- Padraig Ó Tuama discusses how Long Soldier's poem engages with political language, critiquing an official apology to Native Americans.
- He emphasizes the poem's focus on the quality of public language, crucial to both poetry and politics.
Generational Grief
- Ó Tuama analyzes the poem's structure, highlighting the connection between the daughter's fall and the historical trauma of Native Americans.
- He notes how the speaker recognizes learned behavior, passed down through generations, of suppressing grief.