Gary Snyder Poems

Anasazi

The theme of this poem is that Anasazi is one with nature and lives off of the land. She lives in the cliffs and grows corn and beans. Her crops are watered from the “trickling streams in the hidden canyons under the cold rolling desert.”

 

The Way West, Underground

The theme of this poem is that across the nation there are different reasons for hunting bears. In the beginning of this poem it talks about how bears are being chased up the coast near foggy volcanoes to North Japan. The end of the poem discusses how bears are hunted with automatic guns.

 

Without

This poem talks about silence, power, healing and singing. The theme is about always taking the easy way out of things.

 

The Dead by the Side of the Road

This poem is about different types of road kill along the sides of interstates and highways. It describes, in detail the animals in their deceased state. It touches upon the use of fossil fuels and that sulphuric acid killed a ringtail.

 

I went into The Maverick Bar

At the beginning of this poem it describes how he goes to the Maverick bar in Farmington, New Mexico and drank bourbon and beer. He is intrigued by the stupidity of the two cowboys and their horse play by the pool tables. He stereotypes that all Americans are this stupid when he says “America-your stupidity.”