Grammar

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The Poem Grammar
The literal meaning of the poem is a diversified culture, different languages and human interaction but this comes with a responsibility — a person who left behind everything of his heritage and is back later with no family, native tongue or tribe. The word for love sweeps the past and apology is granted. She is embracing and kind but wants to know first the kind of Indian you are. Bloodlines define clans and lineage is vital.
The theme is a diversity of characters who interact in love, people from different evolutions. The title doesn’t hold much significance until the poem is understood. After a repetitive reading, one would realize that the title ‘Grammar’ gives a reasonable hint about the poem. The existence of different languages signifies the corresponding variation in the grammar. “No language considers itself part of another.” (Aja, 25) This line gives concrete evidence as a backup.
The tone of the poem is cheerful and playful, words like ‘doodooshaaboo’ and ‘gookoosh’ are used to pass information. The subjects of the poem are addressed in an attitude which is not solemn.
The poem has prose structures long and short-forms of poetic line to focus on the minutia of responsibilities associated with the culture, language, and human interaction, this is the structure of the poem.
The sounds in the poem greats a loud tone ‘doodooshaaboo’ and ‘gookoosh.’ Repetition of the word ‘wiidige’ encourages a sensuous feeling.

The poem flows fluidly, but it moves differently at some different lines. The words ‘bank’ and ‘birch’ gives a rhyming sound.
The speaker can assume the male gender. He talks of ‘minaabem or wife.’He seems attached to the subject he is talking about.
The first stanza elaborates a lot of figurative languages, words can’t be translated. Literally, they are non-literal for instance ‘…eyes or lips…cleaving muscle from the earth’ and even in the last stanza ‘snow was blind to…’The line ‘We are…mammal and bird.’ is metaphor that contains an imagery of diversity.

Reference
Aja Couchois Duncan: Restless Continent: Grammar. Litmus Press, 2016