Simon Ortiz: Nature, Vision, and Modernity in Two Poems

Introduction to Simon Ortiz and His Poetic Vision

Simon Ortiz, an Acoma Pueblo Indian poet, is one of the most remarkable Native American writers. His poetry is inspired by the spirit of Native American culture broadly conceived, and his writings take on a special flavor particular to the Indian tradition. His works are filled with descriptions of natural elements in all their varied forms: the earth, the sun, the plants, the animals. Overall, Ortiz's poetry envisions a way of experiencing life that is very different from the common modern experience. He emphasizes the need to return to a primeval state in which man felt deeply connected with everything in the universe — as part of a whole, not merely as a separated, uprooted individual. Even ordinary, domestic experiences, he suggests, should be reintegrated into the greater cosmic order so as to bring us closer to the truth.

His two poems, "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun" and "Vision Shadows," share a common theme: the modern man's loss of true vision or perceptive power, and his disconnectedness from nature. Both poems are seemingly uttered by prophetic voices that deplore the state of the contemporary world — a barren scene in which everything is divided and separated. The loss of man's connection with nature and all surrounding elements is the main source of the poet's discontent. In these poems, Ortiz spotlights the liberating power of nature, which must be rediscovered by man. Both texts showcase the disquieting picture of the modern world: the whole universe seems to have lost its balance, and its harmony has been destroyed. Both poems invoke the old world in which man communed with nature and was thus part of a greater wholeness.

Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun: Wholeness and Return

In "Earth and Rain, the Plants and Sun," Ortiz lays particular emphasis on man's return to the primeval state, in which the blessings of nature and harmony would once more be recognized. The poem also invokes Native American traditions as a living connection with the old world. The central message of the poem is the emphasis on completion and the reintegration of separate parts into the greater whole. According to Ortiz, all of nature is alive, and it speaks with a prophetic voice to those who are able to read its arcane signs. The natural elements are all interconnected in one great unity, and the poem advocates the regaining of perceptive power and true vision.

Because modern man has lost his vision, he can no longer attend to his surroundings or recognize his role in the great whole that is the universe. The figurative language of the poem reinforces this idea: the natural elements serve as symbols of the great voice of nature, which encompasses the narrower human circle and constitutes man's only gateway to salvation and the recuperation of his spiritual powers. The great spirit of nature is thus the main "character" of the poem. In the vein of Native American literary tradition, Ortiz observes the importance and the power of surrounding nature, which can restore man to a primitive state of purity and innocence. Thus, "the plants with bells" and "the stones with voices" recall the ancient Indian traditions according to which each natural element has a voice that speaks the mysteries of the great natural spirit.

Vision Shadows: The Eagle and Impaired Sight

"Vision Shadows" is structured around the same core theme as the first poem. Again, Ortiz emphasizes the loss of vision that accompanies man's advancement into modernity. With every step of civilization, man distances himself from the origins of things and from the truth. Civilization, in its negative aspects, is thus perceived as a destructive force that menaces the overall balance of the world. Like the previous poem, "Vision Shadows" deplores the state of nature in the modern world. The sky, the mountains, the wind, and all the natural elements seem to lie dormant in utter dullness — a state from which all inspiration has fled. This poem delineates the main theme with particular sharpness, constructing its images around the central symbol of the eagle, a bird of enormous significance within Native American tradition. The eagle symbolizes the ability of the spirit to soar above the commonality and dullness of ordinary life and thereby gain a panoramic view of the whole.

The title of the poem itself hints at the same central theme: the blurring or shadowing of vision and perceptive power in the contemporary world. The stillness of the wind and the hint at the eagle's impaired flight are symbolic of the modern world's plunge into absolute dullness: "Poisonous fumes cross our sacred paths. / the wind is still. / O Blue Sky, O Mountain, O Spirit, O / what has stopped? / Eagles tumble dumbly into shadows / that swallow them with dull thuds." (Baym, 1270). Modern man is unable to revive his spiritual sources or regain his original vision of the world. Visions hold special significance in Native American tradition, representing the connection with higher forms of existence.

The allusions to suffocation, loneliness, and dryness further illuminate the characteristics of the modern world. The contemporary scene offers no room for breathing and no solace for the utter alienation that now animates the whole: "The sage can't breathe. / Jackrabbit is lonely and alone / with eagle gone. / it is painful, aiiee, without visions / to soothe dry whimpers / or repair the flight of eagle, our own brother." (Baym, 1270). The tragic vision of the poet transmits a bitter message about the modern, empty world in which all things have become abstracted and individuated from the great whole.

Works Cited

Baym, Nina, et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 6th edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 2002.