259. Speaking (page 318)

I take him outside
under the tree,
have him stand on the ground.
We listen to the crickets,
cicadas, million years old sound.
Ants come by us.
I tell them,
“This is he, my son.
This boy is looking at you.
I am speaking for him.”

The crickets, cicadas,
the ants, the million of years
are watching us,
hearing us
My son murmurs infant words,
speaking, small laughter
bubbles from him.
Tree leaves tremble.
They listen to this boy
speaking for me.

Simon J. Ortiz (b. 1941)

The poem Speaking, by Simon J. Ortiz portrays a parent taking their baby boy outside and introducing him to the nature of the world. But the wildlife, plants, and time do not comprehend human wording, so they turn to observation. The baby also spoke, but with sounds and feelings instead of words, this way of speaking was understood. The use of personification, repetition, and title help to better expose the meaning of the poem, and these devices contribute to the overall experience of it.

First, personification is used with the flora, fauna, and time. In the poem the insects and millions of years are watching and hearing the two people. These human characteristics are given to time and insects (though insects do possess these two qualities). In the beginning of the second stanza, this personification is important because the adult is speaking for himself or herself, but also for the boy. Words are used, and the wildlife of the forest and the time all around them listen. But then the boy “murmurs infant words” (line 15) and he too speaks. In response the “leaves tremble. They listen to this boy” (lines 18 and 19). Leaves cannot hear or move voluntarily, but the poem shows them as creatures who can. This is important for it shows that the boy is communicating, speaking, and is more understood by the world around him then the parent who was merely watched. This also goes along with the diction utilized; for while the adult speaks, the world is watching and listening. But while the baby speaks, the world listens and trembles in response, a communication. The words speak, listen, and watch are all important to the poem. They link with ways in which beings communicate.

Next, the repetition in this piece is interesting because it changes the characters and actions around. Firstly, “we listen to the crickets, cicadas, million years old sound” (lines 4 and 5) and then “the crickets, cicadas, ants, the millions of years are watching us, hearing us” (lines 11-14). True, this is not exact repetition, but the wording is very similar. What makes these lines of near repetition interesting is that there is a switch from the parent and child listening to the sounds of nature, to nature listening and watching the two people speaking back to them. This puts an emphasis on the different speakers and receivers, thus further implying the meaning of the poem. Also, there are the last two lines of each stanza; “‘this boy is looking at you. I am speaking for him’” (lines 9 and 10) and “they listen to this boy speaking for me” (lines 19 and 20). Because of the similarity of the lines, especially the endings, the reader is drawn to the words. Again they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem. These lines also show a connection, like the circle of life. The wildlife speaks and the parent speaks for the child, and then the wildlife listens and the baby speaks for its guardian. The interchanging roles are interesting to follow.

Last, there is the title, which is simply the word “speaking.” This tells the reader that they are going to experience a piece that is describing speaking. This word is very general and never expresses which way that the people or nature is speaking. The title is the introduction to the meaning and also connects the words speak, listen, and watch together, which are each senses that people have. The title explains the meaning simply and is powerful in that it is the only word that the reader has to soak up in the beginning.

The poem is showing that though adults can speak, they are not as close to nature as a baby who speaks with sounds and feelings, and is driven by instinct. There are many ways of speaking; one can speak with their voice, body movements, facial expressions, and sounds. We do not all speak the same languages, but there are some ways of speaking that everyone and everything can understand. The devices used help to contribute to the meaning of the poem, and the experience. Personification shows how nature responded to the adult and baby when each of them spoke in their own ways. It also created imagery which made the poem more smooth and interesting. Repetition emphasizes who the two people are talking to, not another human, but a perceiving forest and wildlife. It is also important to note the last two lines of each stanza. These lines are not repetition, but are similar in wording and sound. This diction shows how differently people speak. The parent is speaking for the son who cannot say words, but the baby is speaking for the parent who cannot connect with nature as he can. And then the title also links to the poem’s meaning and experience. Its solitary word is the introduction to the piece, and the word that is kept in mind during the poem. It hints to the indication of the poem; there is more then one way to speak.

I liked this poem and how short and simple it was. Though it is not filled with imagery and drastic devices, it is quaint and enjoyable in its own way. One thing that I find interesting about this poem is that the meaning of it could be just as evident in various other scenes, but this one was chosen. The lines are short, but the flow of the poem is not choppy. Rather, there is more emphasis on the words of each line, and it allows the reader to dwell on the thoughts of each individual line. People often become so engrossed with words and languages that they forget to remember the other ways of communicating. Eyes, body gestures, facial expressions, and simple sounds are also ways in which people and animals speak. The author used trees and insects in the poem instead of people. They understood the baby’s way of talking and the feelings that he emitted, though words meant very little to them. This poem was also enjoyable because of the words that it used. They were soft, such as “murmur” “laughter bubbles from him” and “tremble.” There were no harsh words and the tone was not melancholy. Rather, words released a tone and feeling that was calm, light, expressive. Millions of years have caused the earth to evolve and its organism to change, but still we are all connected and able to listen and communicate with each other if we want to. The poem starts with the parent and child listening the insects and a million years old sounds, then the parent uses words to speak to the listening creatures, and last the baby murmurs sounds and laughs with his own way of speaking and the earth continues to listen. We all speak, no matter in what way, you just have to know which way to listen, with your ears or with your eyes.