Order 482215 Sherman Alexie’s texas chainsaw massacre
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Literary Elements in “Chain of Massacre” Poem
A poem refers to a piece of work that uses sounds and a certain rhythm of language to
evoke a deeper meaning than the actual words in the poem. Poetry has such a purpose in society
such that it can be used to express feelings or pass information regarding a subject. While it may
be viewed as a form of communication, its creation lies in the careful choice of words and
literacy terms. The “Chain of Massacre” is a poem written by Sherman Alexie, giving accounts
of how Indians of Cheyenne and Arapaho were massacred by the Colorado Cavalry Army in
1864, led by commander Chivington in the United States of America (Janes par.2). The events
that occur described happen in the aftermath of the massacre. In this poem, different literacy
styles and elements have been used.
The poet has used repetition throughout this poem. More specifically, several words and
names have been mentioned many times. The name “Chivington” has been used repeatedly to
stress on the person who led this massacre. By doing this, the poet wants readers to have a clear
and memorable understanding of the causal factor in the killings (Janes par.5). A reader will,
therefore, scourge through the poem and try to study this subject in detail to understand his
character and role he played in the 1864 massacre. Another word that has been repeated by the
poet is “Sand Creek.” Sand Creek, in the poem, is the place where the Indians were massacred
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during the attack. Alexie is urging readers to have a clear background of the victims in this poem.
In the poem, Sand Creek is calm, humble and an armless region with few inhabitants, mostly
children, women, and the elderly. Additionally, Cheyenne and Arapaho have been stressed in this
poem to talk about the Indians who lost their lives and loved ones in this brutality.
Alexie has also used consonance as a device in this poem. Consonance in poetry is
revealed by the use of words with the same consonant sounds in sentences that are in close
proximity. Alexie has used the words “Colorado,” “Cheyenne,” and “Campbell” in the same
paragraph of his poem (Kopack par. 4). They have been used to provide a rhyming effect in this
work. However, in a broader picture, it has been used to reiterate the significance of the
background of this poem and at the same time, making it appealing to the readers.
Moreover, the poet has used assonance. Assonance is said to be used in a poem if words
with the same vowel sounds are close to each other. For instance, Alexie has used “here,” “there”
and “where,” “Sand Creek” and “flank-deep” in the same sentence to bring a pleasing effect in
his piece of work. It is used to deliver a mood to the readers to capture their attention so that they
can continue following the flow of writing of the poet.
Another literary device used by the poet is imagery. In the poem, while detailing to
Indians about the peace treaty that the American government intended to make with them,
President Abraham Lincoln referred to Indians as “Red brethren.” Alexi also uses direct
quotations from the witnesses to create a snapshot of the real pictures of the aftermath of the
massacre in the reader’s mind. He talks about “breasts cut from women” and “scrotum cut from
men.” “Red brethren” is interpreted to refer to a particular group of individuals in a society, and
in this poem: Indians of Cheyenne and Arapaho.
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Symbolism and irony is yet another style used by the poet. The large American flag
raised by Black Kettle is symbolically used to refer to peace. By raising this flag, Cheyenne’s
clan leader hoped that the American soldiers would see there is peace between them and retreat,
or even have mercy on them. However, this was not what happened; the ironical part of it was
that the soldiers proceeded with the attack on the Indians. Ideally, raising the large flag was a
symbol of a reminder to the American troops about the peace treaty that they had signed with the
Indians (Sherman par.3). It means that Chivington's army purposely ignored the deal and chose
to go against the agreement. Alexie refers to Colonel Chivington’s command as “volunteers,”
ironically referring to their brutal nature. Alexie has used these styles to shed light on the nature
of human beings when it comes to honoring agreements as well as their character.
Archaism is also another tool used by the poet to convey his message. Archaism is the
use of old fashioned words in literature or poetry. The words “brethren” are used in the poem by
President Abraham Lincoln to refer to Indians and other native occupants in the U.S soil. They
have been used purposely to suggest the ancient or golden period during which the massacre
occurred. Furthermore, they have been used to add gravity to the poet's work.
Throughout Alexi’s poem of “Chain of Massacre,” various literacy devices, including
repetition, imagery, archaism, symbolism, consonance, and assonance, have been applied.
Choosing the appropriate styles have been fundamental in helping the poet nail down his work
and the intended message to the audience. The techniques have also provided a voice to the work
and imprinting a memorable picture in the readers' minds.
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Works Cited
Janes, Jen. "The Chainsaw Massacre: Our Collective Nightmare".
All Regis University
, 2008,
https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/497. Accessed 13 Nov 2019.
Kopack, Laurie LePain.
Pulling History Forward: Challenging And Reinscribing Historical
Narratives In Sherman Alexie’S Poetry
. 2010,
http://dalnetarchive.org/bitstream/handle/11061/368/L%20Kopack.pdf?sequence=1.
Accessed 13 Nov 2019.
Sherman, Alexis. "Alexie, S.- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Poem-1992)+".
Pdfslide.Net
,
2012,
https://pdfslide.net/documents/alexie-s-the-texas-chainsaw-massacre-poem-
1992.html
. Accessed 13 Nov 2019.