This poem was unlike any other poem I’ve read, it had a very interesting story and a very unique way of telling it. The choices the author used for the language of the poem was intriguing. It was different to see how the author described why she was using certain diction throughout the poem. She would state an important point in her story and use italics to emphasize a word, and she would go on to explain why she did this. Which is very engaging. And by doing so it created a more dramatic affect to her language and her story.
“Everything is in the language we use”. This is a very dramatic statement, which shows how language is a violence unto itself. Language can be used to portray any idea we want it to, but can be interpreted in many different ways. When we look at the context this sentence is placed in, it is while the author is descriptively discussing how the US broke an important treaty with the Dakota Nation. This sentences creates a dramatic effect that enhances her story, and how its important that we don’t overlook how terribly these Native people were treated by the US.
Soldier uses language in a perfect way to help the reader understand her points. I feel that what Soldier wants us to take away from this story is that through all of the trickery, the treaties, how humans scheme and plot against one another, it could all be found in the choices we make in our language.