Song of Myself  

Poetry is a way of trying to understand the world, like science, but much, much older.  We cannot separate ourselves from the world we try to understand, and one of the most common themes for poets has been that of autobiography.  Who am I and how can I convey that to you?  In November of 2010 I shared a couple of such poems with my Local Grade 8 English students, notably “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman, and “The Delight Song of Tsaoi-Talee” by N. Scott Momaday, and asked them to write their own autobiographical poems using Momaday’s poem (see below) as their model, and Whitman’s title, unless they chose to use another one.  All of the poems were interesting and beautiful in their own way, but some were truly wonderful, as good as many poems I’ve read by professional writers.  Following Momaday’s poem you can enjoy a taste of what I received from the students.  Please read through to the end to get the breadth of their beauty.

"The Delight Song of Tsaoi-talee"
by N. Scott Momaday, Kiowa (Native American)

I am a feather on the bright sky
I am the blue horse that runs in the plain
I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water
I am the shadow that follows a child
I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows
I am an eagle playing with the wind
I am a cluster of bright beads
I am the farthest star
I am the cold of the dawn
I am the roaring of the rain
I am the glitter on the crust of the snow
I am the long track of the moon in a lake
I am a flame of four colors
I am a deer standing away in the dusk
I am a field of sumac and the pomme blanche
I am an angle of geese in the winter sky
I am the hunger of a young wolf
I am the whole dream of these things
You see, I am alive, I am alive
I stand in good relation to the earth
I stand in good relation to the gods
I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful
I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-tainte
You see, I am alive, I am alive

I’m   Victoria.

I don’t know how to describe myself.

I was a childish girl yesterday.

I changed a lot today.

I liked to eat cake yesterday.

I’d like to eat fish today.

I liked to do so many things and there’s so much more.

I love my family and I’m loved by my family.

I love my friends and I’m loved by my friends.

I saw into a mirror, but couldn’t recognize myself.

I watched the sunset, but had no idea about the night.

I jumped for joy, but there’s no reply.

I went sailing on the sea, but no direction.

I won the game, but there’s no praise.

I didn’t catch the chance and felt frustrated.

I want to stay and sit without doing anything.

I’m just a little simple girl.

I went this step.

I looked around.

I found someone whose heart was full of love.