!! TW: This post references sexual assault !!
This week, I wanted to focus on Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith. This poetry book covers social justice issues, from economic disparities to racial and gender inequalities.
Smith’s many accomplishments range from winning multiple prizes, graduating from both Harvard and Columbia, and serving as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017-2019 (Side note: The Poet Laureate is someone who raises awareness and appreciation for poetry).
I’m usually not one to read much poetry, and I only picked up this collection because it was an assigned reading for a class. However, I find the poems extremely poignant and thought-provoking. One poem that really stood out to me is from the first section which was titled “The World is Your Beautiful Younger Sister.”
I’ve attached a link of Smith’s reading of the poem (and the poem is included in the transcript): Tracy K. Smith and Rita Dove Reading Their Poetry | National Endowment for the Arts. I highly encourage everyone to listen to this recording/read the transcript before reading the rest of this post.
In the above clip, Smith describes it as “a poem that’s really thinking about the earth, but the guiding metaphor has to do with gender.”
The immediate message of the poem is that the reader’s younger sister has been assaulted by old wealthy men – and yet she was the one at blame. This speaks to the blame placed on victims in SA cases, especially if they are women. Meanwhile, the offender brags about it and avoids punishment because he must protect his own interests.
However, if we look closer at the title, Smith likens the earth to the young woman that has been assaulted. Often, the earth is described as motherly figure. However, I think that comparing it to a younger sister forces people to view Earth in a different light. Instead of being the protector and caretaker, this poem shows that the world is still young and vulnerable, specifically to our actions. I see this as an extremely powerful metaphor, because no longer is she just “Mother Earth.” She is your younger sister. She is a part of your identity. She has been exploited and disgraced for her “resources” by greedy rich men, who have no shame for their actions, and no one to answer to because of their power.
Although I don’t read much poetry, I found this poem is extremely powerful, and I hope it gives people something to think about.