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Song for My Name vs First Light - Papers Online

Song for My Name vs First Light

Oftentimes, works of literature about the same subject can express very different views. “Song for my Name” and “First Light” are poems about the life of a Native American, both written by Linda Hogan. Although there are differences in these poems, they do share similarities when it comes to how it feels to be a Native American.
The first poem, “Song for my Name” is a poem with a very negative feeling. The poem is criticizing the circumstances that Native Americans are undergoing, and a strong sense of oppression is evident. The speaker says, “That name is full of women/ with black hair/ and men with eyes like night. It means no money tomorrow” (ln.11-15). This Native American “name” ...

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can best be defined as dishonest or illegal.
It is very interesting that both poems are set in the morning, and that is made clear to the readers in the first line of each poem. Morning represents a fresh start to something new, and usually connotes something that is happy and the start to a new beginning. This is ironic, because “Song for my Name” begins with a line that could be the start to a positive poem, but instead continues on with a negative tone. The poem begins with the lines “Before sunrise/think of brushing out an old woman’s dark braids...” (ln.1-2). “First Light” starts off with the line, “In early morning/ I forget I'm in this world/ with crooked chiefs/ who make federal deals.” (ln.1-4). This sounds like it would be followed by a negative poem, criticizing the Native American culture, which it does not.
“Song for my Name” highlights many negative aspects of the Native American lifestyle. The whole poem is saying that if you have the name of being Native ...

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Song for My Name vs First Light. (2011, April 1). Retrieved January 13, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Song-My-Name-vs-First-Light/97322

"Song for My Name vs First Light." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Song-My-Name-vs-First-Light/97322>

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 4/1/2011 01:07:17 AM
Submitted By: leap129
Category: Poetry & Poets
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 714
Pages: 3

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