Kimmerer Robin affirms in his article that his ability to listen to nature has resulted to his love for science. By studying botany, Robin acquired another language for describing every little part in a plant apart from his local dialect, Potawatomi. Some of the mysteries that occur in plants have no precise terminology in botany whereas a term rightly defines it in the Potawatomi. This implies that botany is limited as it is defined by the extent of research that has been accomplished in the western world. I support that the perception of Robin that embracing western language has long eroded native stories and culture. From reality, the local dialect has been lost since countable people can fluently commune in their local dialect world over. Language as the mouthpiece of every culture will be long forgotten. Just like Robin, it is not advisable to know only the native dialect to survive in the modern world. This is because human interaction results to a legacy of languages, which incorporates the grammar of animacy.
Persimmons by Li-Young Lee
Li-Young shares about his experience with Persimmons. Initially, it was challenging to the writer to differentiate between persimmon and precision. From the teachings by Mrs. Walker, Li-Young memorized the features of the fruit and could specify it from even in blindness. From the childhood story of persimmons, the reader derives the essence of feelings in relation to the fruit. Other than being an ordinary fruit, Persimmons defines the culture of the writer. From its features, the reader derives social activities of the family, family values, and unity within the family. This is depicted by Li-Young’s description of the father’s feelings after Li-Young gave him some persimmons. Although the family’s unity is guaranteed from the description of persimmon, Li-Young fails to describe the significance of this fruit to the community at large. This significance is of great essence in the study as Li-Young begins by introducing his worst memories when he failed to differentiate persimmon from precision.
At Home in the Past by Tessa Hadley
Tessa gives the reader a glimpse of her childhood experience by stating that despite her fondness for reading, she did not possess many books. To quench her thirst for reading, she borrowed from the library. Among the stories, she read included that of ‘The Secret Garden” which became a reminder of the uncle’s loss and a healing ground for Mary, which makes Tessa enthralled and skeptical. The writer affirms that a reader can quite easily become a doubter and a believer at the same time. This is quite true based on the stories being read and the personal experience one has encountered. This is only possible when a reader is emotionally engrossed in the fictional readings and tries to envision the fiction.
The Book by Hisham Matar
Matar is quite nostalgic over his early memories of books. The writer asserts that he remembers being read to stories and not reading. This implies that rather than envisioning the stories, he visualized the readings after listening and reading the facial expressions of the reader. By bodily contact, Matar could feel the resonance of every vowel and consonant. By applying other senses, the writer could easily memorize the stories in every book. From the numerous books being read to him, Matar only remembers the emotional turmoil and feelings of the writer of these books. Even though Matar listened to the stories, he listened more with his heart. This made him feel the poignant and psychological state of the authors. Matar acknowledges the truth that in honest writing, the reader is able to capture the described emotion, the precision, and patience of the words applied. Listening with the heart derives conscious connection with the reality displayed in writing.
There was no difference: Poems about animals by Pablo Neruda, Rainer Maria Rilke, Nalungiaq, and Eleur Adcock
Pablo applies repetition of the words in the poem to stress his description of the place. By stating that the light was without light implies that though there was light, it was still dark. By stating that the sky was without sky, the authors affirm that the sky was clear, without any covering. The writers retell the significance of having live and energetic animals at the time when the entire region of Berlin was covered in darkness and in winter. The beauty of the animals restored life in winter and greatly contrasted with the dark nature. Nalungiaq affirms that human mind is the most powerful since it bears the ability to create words. Though at one time animals and human beings were the same, animals had to modify themselves to become human beings so they could speak.
Blues for Allah by Krista Bremer
Bremer reviews the significance of the music in relation to different cultures. Bremer goes on to highlight the varying perceptions towards music, especially the cultural music from the fusion of an American and an African. To the devout Muslims, music and movies distract them from focusing on their maker. To a typical African, music is the counsel one derives in trying moments; music soothes the soul and lifts up the spirit. The American has a free spirit that perfectly fits in other cultures. From the perspective of the writer, numerous aspects including religion define individual culture. From the narrative, an American is perceived as a selfish and materialistic whereas an African is perceived as overbearing and irrational. It is through family struggles of the author that the reader clearly perceives the essence of having a solid ground for living as much as having a roof on one’s head. Though it is possible to settle in different regions, it is tasking abandoning one’s culture for another. This is because culture defines a person, irrespective of their background.