By: Paula Gunn Allen
The narrator of this poem is a Native American named Pocahontas, who directs her words towards her English husband, John. This poem portrays Pocahontas as a strong and powerful women that was betrayed by her husband. Her husband saw her as a child and did not respect her opinion. In the poem, she tells John that he is foolish for being loyal to England. She is constantly saving him and teaching him ways to survive. Many names that she calls him in the poem, such as "oh beloved" and "my fair husband" give the idea that she loves him, but the lines of the poem make it sound like she is bitter towards him. In the poem, Pocahontas explains that she has done so much for her husband and saw him as hopeless as she took care of him. She held him in her arms and listened to his faithfulness to the king and God. She mentions that she knew what the goal of the white people was the entire time, but still supported him. He took so much from her and she ended up dying in the end, while he survived. This represents how the Native Americans sacrificed a lot and ended up dying off, while the white people survived and took over the land. The poem has a lot of meaning and historical reference. Using this poem in a freshman class will not only teach them about poetry, but also about the impact the English had on the Native Americans. It gives a personal response to the destruction of life. The Pocahontas story told to children is romanticized and does not give as much of an accurate description. The poem shows another point of view that Pocahontas may have had. She was a mediator between the English and the Native Americans. She taught them how to survive living off the land, but they took advantage of her and her people. It teaches that there are terrible events that have happened in history. Students will learn how taking advantage of others has a negative effect on themselves and others.
Problems that may come up when Teaching Pocahontas To Her English Husband, John Rolfe
Poetry can be difficult to interpret, especially when students have not had much exposure to it. A teacher should approach this poem by teaching students the many elements that are used in poetry. For example, similes, metaphors, alliteration, and rhyming are all used in poetry. If they understand these elements they will be able to break down the poem. This will allow them to understand the tone of the poem and what the message of the poem is. The teacher should also have the students interpret the poem as a class. Poetry allows students to see different types of literature and how they express messages differently.
A link to the poem.
Author biography.
Poetry elements in the poem.
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