"Anasazi", The Way West, Underground" and "The Dead By The Side Of The Road".

This entry covers the reading of "Anasazi", "The Way West, Underground” and "The Dead By The Side Of The Road".

"Anasazi" is a descriptive poem relating to the Anasazi People of the Four Corners area of the United States. The poem uses short phrases to describe the basic environment and way of life for the Anasazi's, stating living conditions and resources. The poem was extremely hard to follow unless it was understood that the Anasazi were Pueblo people. “Anasazi” presents a native people living off the land and retaining their customs and traditions.

            “The Way West, Underground” speaks of the wilderness and primitive people of many different locations around the world. It describes the forests of Oregon, the islands of Japan, the women of Tibet and the people of Finland. Gary Snyder then focuses on Western Europe, where there are no bears. There are just men racing in the streets with guns. The only wild left in the area is bears and bison painted in caves from a people long gone. He may be suggesting that this is how all of the wilderness will end up before long.

            “The Dead By The Side Of The Road” mentions several great animals found dead by the side of the road, most struck by cars with one doe shot. Snyder is perplexed how these creatures could be so easily struck and left to die without a care. He collects the animals and skins them, cooking and eating the meat while saving the skins for bags and pouches. He shows his disgust by stating that roads were laid to kill them, and reminding the reader that the logging truck that struck the fawn was running on fossil fuels. Snyder believes the car in its present form is an evil that is not worth the lives of so many animals struck on the roadside.