The Trail of Tears Poems Revisited

Abstract

This study examines the Native Americans’ discourse as revealed in some poems under the title Trail of Tears written by Native American poets and non-Native Americans sympathetic to the cause of indigenous people. A careful examination of such verses showcases that the discourse is always fashioned to yield four distinctive themes: (a) resentment at the atrocities of the settlers and their devastating impact on the Natives; (b) the tragic events as an emblem of ongoing injustice and an inspiration for all American Natives to remember, learn, and protect their identity and resist aggression; (c) genuine faith in the immortality of the soul and the spirituality of the natural world where divine spirits roam and supply moral support and empowerment to oppressed souls; (d) perseverance to protect identity and to keep struggling against aggression until justice is served. Whether the poem is written by an anthologized adept poet or a novice writer, these components are brilliantly articulated to serve the overall purpose of the Natives’ cause–– i.e., to win the support of the world body of justice and to impel fellow Natives to continue resisting the aggression.