THE SONG MY PADDLE SINGS - Weebly



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|THE SONG MY PADDLE SINGS |Reel, reel. |

|by Emily Pauline Johnson |On your trembling keel, |

| |But never a fear my craft will feel. |

|West wind, blow from your prairie nest 1 |We’ve raced the rapid, we’re far ahead! |

|Blow from the mountains, blow from the west. |The river slips through its silent bed. 45 |

|The sail is idle, the sailor too; |Sway, sway, |

|O! wind of the west, we wait for you. |As the bubbles spray |

|Blow, blow! 5 |And fall in tinkling tunes away. |

|I have wooed you so, | |

|But never a favour you bestow. |And up on the hills against the sky, |

|You rock your cradle the hills between, |A fir tree rocking its lullaby, 50 |

|But scorn to notice my white lateen. |Swings, swings, |

| |Its emerald wings, |

|I stow the sail, unship the mast: 10 |Swelling the song that my paddle sings. |

|I wooed you long but my wooing’s past; | |

|My paddle will lull you into rest. |SWEETGRASS |

|O! drowsy wind of the drowsy west, |by Mary Sky Blue Morin |

|Sleep, sleep, | |

|By your mountain steep, 15 |The Sweetgrass braided sacredness –1 |

|Or down where the prairie grasses sweep! |opens minds |

|Now fold in slumber your laggard wings, |appeases spirits |

|For soft is the song my paddle sings. |calms Indian hearts |

| |protects Indian souls. 5 |

|August is laughing across the sky, |The Sweetgrass is strong. |

|Laughing while paddle, canoe and I, 20 |Once lit it is passed to me. |

|Drift, drift, |I grasp the smoke |

|Where the hills uplift |Spread it |

|On either side of the current swift. |Over my hair 10 |

| |my body |

|The river rolls in its rocky bed; |my heart |

|My paddle is plying its way ahead; 25 |I am cleansed. |

|Dip, dip, |The Sweetgrass weaves |

|While the waters flip |its familiar scent 15 |

|In foam as over their breast we slip. |around my friends. |

| |Its Power |

|And oh, the river runs swifter now; |captures |

|The eddies circle about my bow. 30 |their senses |

|Swirl, swirl! |to come back 20 |

|How the ripples curl |to the Indian Way. |

|In many a dangerous pool awhirl! |The Sweetgrass |

| |is strong. |

|And forward far the rapids roar, | |

|Fretting their margin for evermore. 35 | |

|Dash, dash, | |

|With a mighty crash, | |

|They seethe, and boil, and bound, and splash. | |

|Be strong, O paddle! Be brave, canoe! | |

|The reckless waves you must plunge into. 40 | |

| | |

| | |

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|WALKING BOTH SIDES |Destiny acted itself out |

|OF AN INVISIBLE BORDER |Deciding for me where I would come from |

|by Alootook Ipellie |And what I would become |

| |So I am left to fend for myself |

|It is never easy 1 |Walking in two different worlds 40 |

|Walking with an invisible border |Trying my best to make sense |

| |Of two opposing cultures |

|Separating my left and right foot |Which are unable to integrate |

|I feel like an illegitimate child |Lest they swallow one another whole |

|Forsaken by my parents 5 | |

| |Each and every day 45 |

|At least I can claim innocence |Is a fighting day |

|Since I did not ask to come |A war of raw nerves |

|Into this world. |And to show for my efforts |

| |I have a fair share of wins and losses |

|Walking on both sides of this | |

|Invisible Border 10 |When will all this end 50 |

|Each and every day |This senseless battle |

|And for the rest of my life |Between my left and right foot |

|Is like having been |When will the invisible border |

|Sentenced to a torture chamber |Cease to be |

|Without having committed a crime 15 | |

| |First Nations |

|Understanding the history of humanity |By Danya Peters |

|I am not the least surprised | |

|This is happening to me | |

|A non-entity |Look me in the eyes, I respect. 1 |

|During this population explosion 20 |Listen to my words, there’s truth. |

|In a miniscule world |Let me speak my language, I won’t harm. |

| |Let me roll my eyes, I’ll apologize. |

|I did not ask to be born an Inuk |Let me have my doubts, I’ll trust. 5 |

|Nor did I ask to be forced |Let me raise my children, I can. |

|To learn an alien culture |Let me hang my head, I make mistakes. |

|With an alien language 25 |Let me feel sad, I’ll recover. |

|But I lucked out on fate |Let me drum and sing, I’ll heal. |

|Which I am unable to undo |Let me burn my sage, I’ll smudge. 10 |

| |Let me grow my hair, my spirit. |

|Sometimes this border becomes so wide |Let me walk away, I’m finished. |

|That I am unable to take another step |Let me live me my culture, I’ll survive. |

|My feet being too far apart 30 |Take me by the hand , I’m lost and |

|When my crotch begins to tear apart |accept me for who I am, I’m human. 15 |

|I am forced to invent |Take these oppressive bricks off my shoulders, |

|A brand new dance step |I belong. |

|The premiere choreographer | |

|Saving the day once more 35 | |

|Identify the examples of the following poetic devices from the poems listed and | |

|explain why it is an example of that poetic device. (see example below) |“Sweetgrass,” by Mary Sky Blue Morin |

| |Pick one poetic device used in the poem and explain how and why it helps us |

|Title Line - The song my paddle sings- Personification |understand the meaning of the poem. |

|This line is an example of personification because singing is a human |What is one feeling you got when you read the poem? Explain why. |

|characteristic, and not something that paddles can do. |What are the qualities of sweetgrass? |

| |What effect does sweetgrass have on people? |

|The Song My Paddle Sings |How does this poet communicate these qualities? |

|Line 1- Alliteration, metaphor |What do you think this poem is about? Why? |

|Line 4- Alliteration, personification | |

|Line 5- Assonance, Consonance |“Walking Both Sides of an Invisible Border,” by Alootook Ipellie. |

|Line 12- Personification | |

|Line 13-Personification |Pick one poetic device used in the poem and explain how and why it helps us |

|Line 16- Personification |understand the meaning of the poem. |

|Line 19- allusion, personification |What is one feeling you got when you read the poem? Explain why. |

|Line 24- Alliteration |What is the invisible border talked about? |

|Sweetgrass |What are the two different worlds the author is talking about? What are the two |

|Line 1- Allusion |opposing cultures? According to the author, why are these cultures unable to |

|Line 2-Personification |integrate? |

|Line 6- Personification, Pun |What is the significance of the last few lines of the poem? |

|Line 14- Personification, Metaphor |Do you agree or disagree with the writer’s feelings? Why or why not? |

|Line 21- allusion |What do you think this poem is about? Why? |

|Walking both sides of an Invisible Border | |

|Line 1- oxymoron |“First Nations” by Dayna Peters |

|Line 4- simile |Pick one poetic device used in the poem and explain how and why it helps us |

|Line 6- alliteration |understand the meaning of the poem. |

|Lines 9-15- simile, irony |What do you think the message of this poem is? Why? |

|Line 21- oxymoron |What do you think the following lines refer to and what do you think they mean? |

|Line 22- allusion |Explain your answers. Line 3, Line 6,Line 9, Line 13, Line 14-17 |

|Line 28-29- hyperbole | |

|Line 33- metaphor | |

|Line 36- personification | |

|Line 44- hyperbole, personification | |

|Line 47- metaphor | |

|First Nations | |

|Line 3- assonance | |

|Line 4- consonance | |

|Line 16- metaphor | |

| | |

|Answer the following questions for each poem. | |

|“The Song my Paddle Sings” by Emily Pauline Johnson | |

|Pick one poetic device used in the poem and explain how and why it helps us | |

|understand the meaning of the poem. | |

|What is one feeling you get when you read the poem? Explain why. | |

|What do you think this poem is about? Why? | |

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