GWENDOLYN M AC EWEN
Brinda

• Canadian
• taught herself Greek, Arabic, Hebrew and French .
• High school drop out- wrote what she wanted, not what the teachers wanted her to write
• her wonderment at life and death, makes her writing unique
* h i n t * E m i l y D i c k i n s o n
• Held a fascination for ancient Egypt and Gnostics
• Not a muggle- she believed in magic

you cannot do this to them, these are my people;
I am not speaking of poetr y, I am speaking of art.
you cannot do this to them, these are my people.
you cannot hack away the horizon in front of their eyes.
the tomb, articulates, will record your doing;
I will record it also, this is not art.
this is a kind of science, a kind of hobby, a kind of personal vice like coin collecting it has something to do with horses and signet rings and school trophies; it has something to do with the pride of the loins; it has something to do with good food and music, and something to do with power, and dancing.
you cannot do this to them, these are my people.

y o u c a n n o t d o t h i s t o t h e m , t h e s e a r e m y p e o p l e ;
I a m n o t s p e a k i n g o f p o e t r y , I a m s p e a k i n g o f a r t .
y o u c a n n o t d o t h i s t o t h e m , t h e s e a r e m y p e o p l e .
y o u c a n n o t h a c k a w a y t h e h o r i z o n i n f r o n t o f t h e i r e y e s .
t h e t o m b , a r t i c u l a t e s , w i l l r e c o r d y o u r d o i n g ;
I w i l l r e c o r d i t a l s o , t h i s i s n o t a r t .
t h i s i s a k i n d o f s c i e n c e , a k i n d o f h o b b y , a k i n d o f p e r s o n a l v i c e l i k e c o i n c o l l e c t i n g i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h h o r s e s a n d s i g n e t r i n g s a n d s c h o o l t r o p h i e s ; i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h e p r i d e o f t h e l o i n s ; i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h g o o d f o o d a n d m u s i c , a n d s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h p o w e r , a n d d a n c i n g .
y o u c a n n o t d o t h i s t o t h e m , t h e s e a r e m y p e o p l e
 Words should be capitalized
 Repetition
 Four lines in each stanza
 Speaker is straight forward
 Tone is confrontational
 “loins” instead of Lions

yo u can n o t d o th is to th e m, th es e are my p eo p le;
I am n o t s p eak in g o f p o etry, I am s p eak in g o f art.
yo u can n o t d o th is to th e m, th es e are my p eo p le.
yo u can n o t h ack away th e h o rizo n in f ro n t o f th eir eyes .
 Initial feeling about what the poem is about was oppression or some kind of injustice..
Social class.
 The first line indicates that the speaker
(assuming that it’s the author) feels strongly towards the current state. The possessive “my” suggests that the poet feels a sense of belonging and responsibility.
 Repetition of the first line reinforces the speaker’s strong feeling towards the injustice
 “hack” suggests brutality. “horizon” could represent the world around the speaker and so therefore “hacking away the horizon” could mean they they’re having their freedom
(forcefully) taken away from them.
 “in front of their eyes” could mean that it’s happening right in front of them but because of the class system, they have no say in it.

th e to mb , articu l a t es , will reco rd yo u r d o in g ;
I will reco rd it als o , th is is n o t art.
th is is a k in d o f s cien c e, a k in d o f h o b b y, a k in d o f p ers o n al v ice lik e co in co llec t in g
 Fi r st l i ne: t he g r ave o r t he headstones, w i ll have t he t r ut h o n t hem i .e how t hey wer e r ea lly t r eated.
 T he sec ond l i ne c ould have a l i teral meani ng o r m et aphorical. Perhaps t he speaker w i ll
“ r ec ord” t he i nj ustice w i t nessed i n a di ar y o r so m e ot her fo rm l i terat ure o r t hey w i ll r ec o rd i t i nto t hei r m i nd and r em ember i t as a m em or y.
 L i k e E m i n e m o n c e s a i d “ m a y b e t h e y ' l l a d m i t i t w h e n w e ' r e g o n e J u s t l e t o u r s p i r i t s l i v e o n ” : D
 “ T his i s not ar t ” show s t he ser i ousness o f t he si t uation. It i s r eal ity and o ne i s not al l owed to be fr ee and i m aginative l i ke ar t i t self.
Articulate: speak clearly; not speechless

i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h h o r s e s a n d s i g n e t r i n g s a n d s c h o o l t r o p h i e s ; i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h e p r i d e o f t h e l o i n s ; i t h a s s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h g o o d f o o d a n d m u s i c , a n d s o m e t h i n g t o d o w i t h p o w e r, a n d d a n c i n g .
y o u c a n n o t d o t h i s t o t h e m , t h e s e a r e m y p e o p l e .
 “ ho r ses” show t hat t he po em has a o l der set t ing
 “ pr ide o f t he l i ons” i s r ever sed, g ener ally i t wo uld’ve been Li o ns i nstead o f l o ins.
 “ g o od fo od and m usic/power/dancing” c o uld be desc ribing t he upper c l ass peo ples l i fe
 Or w hat t he speaker t hi nks ever y per so n sho uld have t he r i g ht to
 E ndi ng t he po em w i th t he l i ne t hat i t st ar ted w i th em phasizes t he speaker ’s di sagreement w i th t he c ur rent st ate of t r eatment.
Signet: a small seal, as on a finger ring