Ellis Island
By Joseph Brucac
Beyond the red brick of Ellis Island
where the two Slovak children
who became my grandparents
waited the long days of quarantine,
after leaving the sickness,
the old Empires of Europe,
a Circle Line ship slips easily
on its way to the island
of the tall woman, green
as dreams of forests and meadows
waiting for those who’d worked
a thousand years
yet never owned their own.
Like millions of others,
I too come to this island,
nine decades the answerer
of dreams.
Yet only part of my blood loves that memory.
Another voice speaks
of native lands
within this nation.
Lands invaded
when the earth became owned.
Lands of those who followed
the changing Moon,
knowledge of the seasons
in their veins.
A b o u t the A u t h o r
Part Native American, Joseph
Bruchac began telling Native
American stories for his own
children and published
hisfirst book of stories in
1975. An award-winning
writer and professional
storyteller, Bruchac has since
written dozensof books for
children and adults that seek
to promote and preserve
Native American stories and
culture.
1. Mark the poem (annotate) by underlining or highlighting in color significant images and
figurative language. For instance, mark and label any similes, metaphors, and examples of
personification. Also mark significant images. Mark within the poem, and then in the margins
list the dreams and disappointments of the two different sets of people in the poem.
2. Who is the speaker in this poem?
3. What is the tone of this poem? How do you know?
4. What is the mood of the poem? How is this mood achieved?