The American Flag- poetry analysis PDF

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poetry analysis for WRT 105 (The American Flag)...

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Poetry Analysis: The American Flag

The poem The American Flag by Mauricio Kilwein Guevara brings a minimalist approach that can be analyzed in endless ways through symbolic interpretation. With such few words, the author attempts to condense a greater meaning into a short poem. Guevara aims to bring attention to the irony behind federally recognized Native American reservation areas, as they are meant to be a token of recognition towards the tribal communities, but unfortunately remain only that: a token. This notion is first represented with the mention of a casino. Casinos near Native American reservations are run by the native tribes that live there and are fueled by the non-Native Americans that come and play. The next section of the poem’s line juxtaposes the lack of culture and tradition that the reservation once represented. The cloudless sky portrays a sense of desolation, illustrating the ways in which culture had been wiped blank. The deer skull laying in red leaves presents the loss of innocence as an archetypal element. A deer is commonly associated with harmlessness and naivete, whereas the red suggests the season to be autumn. Autumn alludes to a period of descent and transition, once again reiterating the gradual loss of culture in the indigenous communities. The second half of the line relates back to the title as well, painting a picture of the American Flag with the clear blue sky, the white deer skull, and the red autumn leaves. This signifies the grim reflection of the Native American communities onto the country as a whole....