Turtle Island Themes III

        In the chapter "For the Children" I focused on three poems: Dusty Braces, The Jemez Pueblo Ring, and For the Children. Dusty Braces is about Snyder's hatred of the acts of his ancestors. He sees the work of past generations "progress" as a destructive act. He says that his mustached lumberjack ancestors killed off  the grizzly and the cougar. When Snyder says "nine bows. Your itch in my boots too." he may be sympathizing with extinct species, or may be saying that he wants to connect with more distant ancestors that lived off the land. In The Jemez Pueblo Ring, Snyder the life of an old ring caught under the construction of modern Japan. The ring is discovered a century later when the construction above is recycled, like a time capsule from a past civilization to the east. This poem shares the theme of connecting with the distant past. For the Children is about how "progress" and growth are bringing us down, but if future generations can survive the challenges ahead they'll need to work together. His message is to "stay together, learn the flowers, go light." For the Children continues the use of vivid imagery, and the theme of the destruction of nature. In this chapter, he also seems to want to connect with the distant past in order to aid the future of humanity.