Module 3: New Poetry Book

 

Module 3: New Poetry Book

Cast Away: Poems for Our Time

Ivana Marmolejo

Bibliography

Nye, Naomi Shihab. Cast Away: Poems for Our Time. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2020. 

Summary

Cast Away: Poems for Our Time is a poetry book by Naomi Shihab Nye that features eighty-four poems about trash! Yes, trash! Readers will enjoy this different perspective of trash as Nye beautifully rummages through the perceptions of our refuse. 

Nye opens with an informative introduction that readers will enjoy because it provides the purpose and motivation behind the book. Beginning with her childhood and her 91-year-old mother, the reader understands why trash is such an important part of Nye’s life. She challenges readers to think about their trash, what they discard, why they scrap, whether it’s necessary, and how they can decrease their trash contributions. The theme is about trash and thinking about the people and circumstances behind the trash. 

Analysis

Anyone who throws away trash will be intrigued by this book. When people think of poetry, they likely won’t associate trash with it. However, the author’s use of figurative language alone makes you want to reevaluate the garbage around you. The following is a small excerpt from the third poem from the Leavings part of the book. “A preacher asked, Can you imagine/ having to push every single thing you own/ everywhere you go, on wheels?/ Trying to put all your troubles in a grocery cart,/ and taking them with you every day./ That is what homeless means./ Troubles and treasures, all in one cart./

Nye troubles the reader with the ugly truth of our society, homeless ones who sometimes carry the silent label of “Trash,” neglectfully named by homeowners in their community. We can all imagine a heavy cart, filled with groceries, being pushed around while items are added as the rows of goods pass by. Nye uses imagery to appeal to the hearts of her readers.

Readers will appreciate the readability of the book. Some poems are short, others are long, and all have plenty of space between lines. Many poems feature reflective questions: How does something become old so quickly? How big was the wailing? See how little we are? If we’re alive, isn’t it all of ours? How long does it take to be thirsty again?

Excerpt and Use

After reading the poem together, students would discuss the line, “Consider it rescue,” to analyze why picking trash from a garbage can would be called rescue. Then, I’d like students to think about whose rubbish they’d like to explore through. If they could pick through the trash of any person, alive, deceased, rich, poor, famous, or regular citizen, through whose waste would they like to rummage? What do they think they might find? What would the trash say about the person? Do they believe any items might be considered treasures by someone else?