Harjo, Walcott, and Schwartz

 Lucy Marous (I know this is very late, so if you cannot accept it, I understand)

 The aspect of the poems that stood out to me the most is the hope that they provide to the reader. While a lot of the works we have read so far have presented a future of warning that comments on how we treat the world today, these three works are a version of the future that comes from the reader’s sense of self and have a more positive tone.

    The Harjo poem, “A Map to the Next World” creates hope by giving the reader the power to change their own world. She ends the poem with this reassurance: “Yet, the journey we make together is perfect on this earth who was once a star and made the same mistakes as humans./ We might make them again, she said./ Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end./ You must make your own map.” We are often taught to fear the future because it is unknown, but Harjo makes the point that it is unknown because we get to create what comes next.

    Similarly, “Love After Love” by Derek Walcott tells the reader to look into themselves. The line that really struck me in this piece is: “You will love again the stranger who was your self.” I hadn’t thought about the fact that my future self is a stranger, but this reflection is a powerful one. One has the power to change their future so much that they themselves are entirely different, and while this invokes fear, it also garners excitement for all the food that can come with time. Similarly, the me I am now will be a stranger to who I become which makes me feel as if there is less pressure on me now. I will forget all of the mistakes I made at some point, so I must learn from them and then move on. This kind of self reflection is very powerful and makes for a better mindset about the future and one’s self.

    Finally, hope is presented in “The Future Loves You Already.” While the first two poems had readers search for hope in the future and themselves, this poem tells us to find hope from others. This is best showcased through the medium of the video poem. There was something so powerful about seeing people of all different ages, genders, and races reading this poem. Having this made the message of the poem one that is coming from the whole human race, and having the love of that many people is a beautiful thing.

    These poems all made me feel very deeply and for that I am grateful. A version of the future that excites me is ahead and it was nice to have a written and visual reminder of that.

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