“EVERYTHING IS IN THE WORDS WE USE”

The poem about the 38 men that were hanged was indeed a tad misleading at first, but began to click. As I read on I started to truly understand what the writer was attempting to do. The writer chooses to use language that is monotone and a reader that does not have emotion in her voice, but is still able to get across as powerful. Rather than using emotion in her words or in her writing, the writer uses a monotone text and voice in order to state facts. This genius method at getting the message across acted like a suppressed gun as it was silent and struck deadly. In other poems I have read, the authors tend to use emotion and bias in order to hook the reader and entice them to continue reading. However in this text, the author uses blunt facts in order to daze the reader and leave the reader fased. While using this unique fashion of writing the author explains each word carefully, so that the reader interprets each sentence exactly how it was meant to be perceived. The author uses the phrase “everything is in the words we use”, which in this case portrays how she uses factionary diction to express her message. In the end she put a smile on the face of the reader using irony as well as exhibiting an underdog perspective in order to get the support of the reader. A major takeaway from the quote is when the author explains the meaning of Minnesota as water and turbid, then defines turbid. In a later sentence after defining treaties, she describes the treaty between the US and Dakota as “turbid” subtly, in order to portray the injustice done unto the people. Rather than bashing on the treaties bluntly, the author uses ironic puns to emphasise the illigitamase of the US treaty and demonstrate the US’s abuse of power.