k ThekIndiankBuryingkGround BykPhilipkFreneau Submittedkby:k MhelkAntonettekEspiritu DyannkGarcia Submittedkto: Professork I.kBiographykofkPhillipkFreneau PhillipkFreneau,kpoet,kwaskbornkinkNewkYor kCity,k2kJanuaryk1752kandkdiedknearkF reehold,kNewkJerseykink1832.kAfterkhekgraduatedkfromkPrincetonkink1771,khekwaska uthor,keditor,kgovernmentkofficial,ktrader,kandkfarmer.kHektriedkteachingkandkso onkfoundkthatkhekhatedkit.kAskregardskthekgenesiskofkhiskpoems,ktwokfactskinkhis klifekarekespeciallykimportant.

kHisknewspaperkwor kencouragedkakfatalkproduction kofktheksatiricalkandkhumorouskversekthatkgavekhimkreputation;kandkhisktradingkv oyageskinspiredkpoemskdescriptivekofkthekscenerykofktheksouthernkislands,kandkma dekpossiblekwhatkiskperhapskhiskmostkoriginalkwor ,khisknavalkballads.kk HekdecidedktoksettlekdownkandkhekmarriedkEleanorkFormankandktriedktokwithdrawkto kakquietkjobkaskankassistantkeditorkinkNewkYor .kAfterkanotherkdecadekofkfeveris hkpublickaction,kFreneaukwithdrewkagainkink1801,kwhenkJeffersonkwaskelectedkpres ident.kHekretiredktokhiskfarmkandkreturnedkoccasionallyktoktheksea.kDuringkhiskl astkthirtykyears,khekwor edkonkhiskpoems,kwrotekessayskattac ingkthekgreedkandks elfishnesskofkcorruptkpoliticians,kandksoldkpieceskofkhisklandsktokproducekaksma llkincome.kHekdiscoveredkthatkhekhadkgivenkhiskbestkyearskofkliterarykproductivi tyktokhiskcountry,kforkitkhadkbeenkinkthekfewkstolenkmomentskofkthekhectick1780s kthatkhekfoundkthekinspirationkforkhiskbestkpoems,ksuchkaskThekIndiankBuryingkGr oundkandkThekWildkHoneysuc le. Hekhaskonekstrongkconvictionkthatkrunskthroughkallkofkhiskpoetry.kHekbelieveskin kankidealkAmerica,konekthatkwouldkta ekthekbestkfromkEuropeankcivilizationk(comm ercekandkscience)kandkthekbestkfromkNaturekandkthekIndian.kFreneaukisknotkconcer nedkwithkhowkthiskwillkhappen,khekiskmerelyksurekthatkitkwillkhappenkandkthekEng lishmankandkIndiankwillkceasektokexistkinkanykphysicalkwaykinktheknewkUnitedkSta teskofkAmerica.kInkhiskwritingkthekBritishkareksimplykdismissedkaskforeignerskan dkinvaderskofkAmerica. PhilipkFreneaukwask nownkask"thekpoetkofkthekAmericankRevolution"kbecausekofkthe kmanykballadskandksatireskhekwrotekduringkthiskperiod.kHiskverse,kprosekandkpart isankessayskappearedkinknumerouskperiodicals,kandkseveralkvolumeskofkhiskwor skw erekpublishedkoverkakhalf-century.k"ThekIndiankBuryingkGround"kwaskfirstkpublish edkinkthekAmericankMuseum,kNovember,k1787 II.kPoem THEkINDIANkBURYING-GROUND k Inkspitekofkallktheklearnedkhaveksaid, Ikstillkmykoldkopinionk eep; Thekposturekthatkwekgivekthekdead Pointskoutktheksoul'sketernalksleep. k Notksokthekancientskofktheseklands;-ThekIndian,kwhenkfromklifekreleased, Againkiskseatedkwithkhiskfriends, Andkshareskagainkthekjoyouskfeast. k Hiskimagedkbirds,kandkpaintedkbowl,

Andkvenison,kforkakjourneykdressed, Bespea ktheknaturekofktheksoul, Activity,kthatkwantsknokrest. k Hiskbowkforkactionkreadykbent, Andkarrowskwithkakheadkofkstone, Cankonlykmeankthatklifekiskspent, Andknotkthekoldkideaskgone. k Thou,kstranger,kthatkshaltkcomekthiskway, Nokfraudkuponkthekdeadkcommit,-Observekthekswellingkturf,kandksay, Theykdoknotklie,kbutkherektheyksit. Herekstillkakloftykroc kremains, Onkwhichkthekcuriouskeyekmayktrace (Nowkwastedkhalfkbykwearingkrains) Thekfancieskofkakruderkrace. k Herekstillkankagedkelmkaspires, Beneathkwhosekfarkprojectingkshade (Andkwhichkthekshepherdkstillkadmires) Thekchildrenkofkthekforestkplayed. k TherekoftkakrestlesskIndiankqueen (PalekShebahkwithkherkbraidedkhair), Andkmanykakbarbarouskformkiskseen Tokchidekthekmankthatklingerskthere. k Bykmidnightkmoons,ko'erkmoisteningkdews, Inkhabitkforkthekchasekarrayed, Thekhunterkstillkthekdeerkpursues, Thekhunterkandkthekdeerk--kakshade! k AndklongkshallktimorouskFancyksee Thekpaintedkchief,kandkpointedkspear, AndkReason'skselfkshallkbowkthek nee Tokshadowskandkdelusionskhere.k III.kAnalysis ThekpoemkdescribeskthekspiritualitykofkIndiansksurroundingkdeath,kwhichkiskseenk askakhappykoccasion,kunli ekWesternkwhitekculture. ThekpoemkiskaboutkankIndiankculture,kespeciallykandkIndiankfuneral.kItkdescribes kdeathkinkthisktradition,kwhichkiskloo edkatkaskrudekandksavage.kStill,kthekspea erkrevealskaklotkaboutkitskstrengthkandkbeautykaskthekpoemkgoeskon.kItkiskakmes sagekinvitingkpeoplektokunderstandkthiskculturekaskitkiskwithoutkprejudices. Unli ekthekwhitekman'sktradition,kinkthekIndian's,kthekdeadkIndiankiskdressedkin kspecialkclotheskaskthoughkcelebratingkakhappykevent.kDeathkinkthekIndianktradit ionkhaskakdifferentkmeaning.kItkisknoklongerkthatksadkandkdreadfulkeventkthatkev eryonekiskafraidkof.kThekdeadkpersonkbecomeskakwarriorkwhokprotectskthekland.kTh iskexplainskhiskposturekandkthekwaykhekiskdressedkin.kThekconceptionkofkdeathkin kthiskculturekma eskofkitkakdifferentkonekfromkthekwhitekman's. HiskpoemkwantsktoktellkuskthatkNativekAmericans kattitudektowardsklifekandkdeath,kwh ichkiskseenkinkstanzakten,k Andkreason skselfkshallkbowkthek nee .kBykthiskhekisksaying kthektruth,kthekwhitekmankisklivingkby,khasktok nuc lekunderktokthekNativekAmeri canskwaykofklife.kHekseeskthekNativekAmericans kaskakverykspiritualkpeople,kandkbykp ointingkoutkthekNativekAmericanskasktheksuperiorkthin erskinkconnectionktoklifek andkdeathkhekdissociatekhimselfkfromkmaterialism.kEvenkthoughkhekpraisesknature, kwhichkiskmaterialistic,khekactuallykpraiseskthekcreationkandklife.