Analysis of poems in the Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey
Natasha Tretheway's collection of poems titled ‘Native Guard’ is a deeply emphatic account of instances in her life and her past that revolve around themes of death, family, prejudice, and freedom. These themes are hinted at throughout the poem weaved in with the distinct unique idea present in each section. After the first read, the difference of each section is very visible-the first chapter of the book is about her mother, second about the Civil War and the history of her town, and the final deals with her personal identity as a mixed-race woman. The famous phrase ‘life is a journey’ is brought put in her first poem in section I, titled Southern Crescent. The poem is able to effectively bring out how close Trethewey and her mother are; describing two instances of disappointment at the hands of two men (her mother’s father and husband) shows that the lives of Tretheway and her mom seem complete without male presence and they seem optimistic about the final train ride. Although ...

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