Poetry Analysis of Coyote Trail

Running head: POETRY ANALYSIS OF COYOTE TRAIL
Poetry Analysis of Coyote Trail
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1POETRY ANALYSIS OF COYOTE TRAIL
Coyote Trail was written by Annharte Anishinabe in the era of the 1970 and it was
written in the contemporary style that became popular among the readers. Coyote Trail is the
name of a native poem which makes use of coyote for conveying the message of the poem
(Wpm2011.org). Coyote stands for a ‘trickster’ figure and it helps in representing the
thoughts that a writer looks for. This essay discusses about the figurative language, context,
tone, style, mood and the diction of the poem.
Coyote Trail uses the figurative language that helps in conveying the mood of the
poem. There is metaphor in the poem that is brought out with the help of the following lines:
“I was a writer once, know how to keep track of things”.
The metaphor suggests that hunt of the coyote for food stands as a metaphor for the
hunt of the writer so that he can find the correct thoughts and the words that can help him in
the aspect of communication. There is also alliteration in the poem as is evident from the
phrase” dead and delicious”. Paradox can also be evident in this phrase as the meaning of the
terms “dead” along with “delicious” are separate from each other that helps in conveying
different meanings. The poem makes use of symbols and the food helps in representing the
thoughts of the writer. The hunger in the work suggest the need of the writers to get access to
the thoughts along with the ideas. Imagery has been used in the poem as the following words,
“hungry, fat, depressed” helps in suggesting an image in front of readers.
The context of the poem is that it talks about the theme of hunting that is based on
survival. The poem can be said to be a metaphor for the struggle of the writer for finding the
right words that can lay the idea clear in front of the readers. The poem deals with the catch
and the release of the ideas. The poem talks about the need of the writer for communication
and the idea of the survival of the poem.