THE LOST HERITAGE
Coreopsis, saffron. madder,
daily we tread kaleidoscopes of colour.
on Persian rugs we set our feet
blind to the woven threads and dyes,
the intricate patterns that shape our lives,
while our minds are indelibly printed by one another.
Like a man whose past and present are folded
into one whole, we inherit more than we know
from the dust and bones
of those lying under the Churchyard's stones,
who sweated their lives in high summer
to the rhythmic clatter of treadle and shuttle
or flinched as cold fastened on fingers
winds shuddered and knived through their looms.
Where the wind once tore at the flames
of tallowed rushes, pressing and printing
their blackened tongues on to beams
we hang our quiet landscapes,
tipping and tilting them till we achieve
an uneasy marriage. for the oak beams long ago
bent to the flailings of heat cold and rain.
Was the child with hands outstretched to the blaze
less constrained? Taking her place
on the trampled earth floor with lambs
brought in from the cold bitter springs
till the air quickened and the windows
gathered the sunlight in.
Then vigorous stirrings ill field and hedge
encouraged the comings and goings in household and bam
the snuffle of starlings under the rafters,
whispers and laughter of serving-maids
braiding their hair for the Whitsun-tide fair
We have nailed down our carpets over the past,
but the young child is lost in a forest
of tower'ing adults, their hands waving glasses
like a strangle of branches
sway backwards and forwards over her head,
their tongues unload fear at her feet.
Heather Buck (1993)
Successful Commentaries
The beginning of a successful commentary or essay one that has analysed the
passage and established thoughtful connections before writing. A successful
thesis statement would take into account the following questions:
•
•
Is my thesis statment specific enough?
Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong
argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if
you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically
makes something "successful"? Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test?
If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge
a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
•
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If
your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of
them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect
things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper.
Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
•
Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first response
is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance
for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on
your position right from the beginning.
•
In the case of exam prompts-Do I answer the question? Re-reading the
question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an
argument that misses the focus of the question.
With that said, a traditional introduction paragraph for "The
Lost Heritage" might look something like this:
Just as flowers or rugs are often walked on without regard to their beauty
and significance, so our heritage is often ignored in the everyday business
of life. Heather Buck explores this theme in her poem, "The Lost
Heritage," through historic references, structure and a weaving of time.
While this introduction may suffice and gives specific direction for the
writer, it lacks the sophistication of a less direct thesis.
Often times the most common things go unnoticed: flowers tread upon, a
child's feelings unacknowledged, the symbolic resemblance of a son's
eyes to his fathers's. Heather Buck examines the significance of these
overlooked things in her poem, "The Lost Heritage," by weaving past and
present, nature and created things into a poetic tapestry reminding us of
the connection we have to life and to each other.
Just because the second introduction does not specifically mention historic
references, structure and weaving of time, it does not mean that it won't
analyse their significance. It emphasizes the meaning and helps ensure that
the mention of rhetorical devices is for the reason of explaining the point of
the poem, not simply identifying rhetorical devices.
For example, the first thesis's following paragraphs may be structured around
the list in the thesis:
1. historic references
 tapestries telling stories
 daily life-weaving, oak beams, candles, earth floor, etc.
 Living with lambs
2.



structure
begins and ends with mention of rugs/carpets
progression of death into life in paragraphs 2-4
line breaks accent contrast between past and present
3.



criticism
final stanza
juxtaposition of organic and inorganic imagery
atmosphere
The second introduction accents the meaning of the poem and uses the
progression of meaning as a springboard for analysis:
1.




Our blindness acknowledged
First stanza a thesis statement
Image of rugs
Connection to nature
Vague allusion to the Fates
2. Thesis goes deeper literally-underground bones
 Acknowledgement of dead's influence
 Rhyme accents connection between what lies under the surface
and what we see and the connection between man and nature
 Continued image of weaving and tapestry
3.
Etc.
While this next point does not work as well with "The Lost Heritage" because its
primary idea is centred around a metaphor, all passages and many poems will
have a plot or will be rooted in a literal progression of events. Just as you had to
place a passage in context when doing your I.O.C, so you should identify
the passage or poem’s literal happenings and then reveal the deeper meaning.
For example, in the poem, "Passed On," Carol Satymurti depicts her own growth,
maturity, and understanding as she tells of her mother's attempt to pass on
knowledge through the use of index cards. This identification of the literal forces
you to identify the literal, lets the examiner know that you have understood the
poem's literal meaning, and gives you a springboard from which to dive into the
waters of interpretation.