Cherokee Rose
By Marc McCord
Seven petals for seven tribes
growing on the trail where they cried.
Center of gold for the land white men stole.
Four thousand of my ancestors died.The trail was long, the journey harsh
crossing a thousand miles of mountain and marsh
and in the place where proud people those
cried the tears that watered Cherokee Rose.Oh Spirit Wolf, oh Spirit Owl
hear the winter winds that howl.
Oh Spirit Eagle, oh Spirit Deer
why did so many have to die here?One nation prospered, one nation fell.
One went to heaven, one was sent to hell.
Cherokee Rose that blooms in spring
reminds us of the songs they sing.White petals, a sign of those tears
that still wet the ground after a hundred fifty years
remind us all of what was lost
from proud people who bore the ultimate cost.Seven petals for seven tribes
growing on the trail where they cried.
Center of gold for the land white men stole.
Four thousand of my ancestors died.
Summary of Cherokee Rose
- Popularity of “Cherokee Rose”: The poem ‘Cherokee Rose’ was written by Marc McCord. He is known for his mixed ethnic ancestry which includes a Texan, Scottish, and Native American. The poem’s publishing date is uncertain. However, it might have been first written or published in 1999 or around this time. The poem not only seems a good ballad but also it is also a tragic story of the Native American Indians who have had to go through grueling sufferings during colonialism. The unique poetic quality lies in its mythical story woven around the native migration to Oklahoma, perhaps during the ‘Trail of Tears’.
- “Cherokee Rose” As a Representative of American Colonialism and Racial Discrimination: The poem is about seven Cherokee tribes. Marc recounted the story of the Native Americans and their oppression at the hands of the white invaders when they dispatched them to faraway reservations toward Oklahoma. This long migration was termed the trail of tears in which, as the myth goes, the tears gave birth to roses at the places where they fell. He narrates it, saying that thousands of their ancestors died during this migration due to the harsh environment in which they had had to move. The poet invokes the spirits of different animals, such as the wolf, owl, eagle, and dear, to inquire about the reasons for the deaths of his nation. Then he responds in the fourth stanza in abstract terms, saying when one nation prospers, the other declines, and this happened with the Cherokee people. Cherokee rose also reminds him of the same thing, as its white petals and the wet ground around it reminded those years when those proud people lost their lives and lands. The first stanza occurs again at the end to become not only its repetition but also a refrain of the poem.
- Major Themes in “Cherokee Rose”: Colonialism, migration, and the decline of the native are the ultimate themes of the poem. The poem opens with the narrative of the American Indians and how they faced the worst colonialism of the century during the first half of the 19th century when the white invaders forced them to migrate to the reservations. When this migration happened, it took a heavy toll on mothers and children who shed tears when wandering in the harsh climate. The decline of the nation or Cherokee tribes lies in that migration which decreased its numbers. The poem still remembers that the prosperity of one nation hinges on the decline of the other nation.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Cherokee Rose
literary devices are great tools used in poetic writing. The analysis of these devices in the poem is given below.
- Anaphora: It means to repeat the first part of a clause of a sentence, such as “One nation…” and “Oh spirit” in the third and fourth stanzas.
- Apostrophe: The poem shows the use of the apostrophe, which means to call the spirit of the dead persons, animals, or objects, such as “O Spirit Wolf, oh Spirit Owl.”
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Seven petals for seven tribes”.
- Allusion: It is a device that shows the use of references to some events or figures of historical importance. This poem alludes to the Seven Cherokee tribes and the historical migration of the Cherokee to Oklahoma.
- Alliteration: It is a device that means to use words in quick succession having initial consonants such as the sound of /w/ in “what was” and the sound of /p/ in “proud people.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/ and /t/ in “Seven petals for seven tribes”; the sounds of /n/ and /r/ in “and in the place where proud people those” and the sound of /p/ and /t/ in “from proud people who bore the ultimate cost.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
White petals, a sign of those tears
that still wet the ground after a hundred fifty years
remind us all of what was lost
from proud people who bore the ultimate cost.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The poem shows the use of imagery such as “The trail was long, the journey harsh”, “One went to heaven, one was sent to hell” and “White petals, a sign of those tears.”
- Juxtaposition: The poem also shows different ideas put together for juxtaposition, such as “One nation prospered, one nation fell.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows a rose used as a metaphor for the birth of a nation.
- Parallelism: The poem shows the use of parallelism in different verses, such as; ‘Oh Spirit Wolf, Oh Spirit Owl’ and ‘One nation prospered, one nation fell’.
- Paradox: The poem also shows seemingly contradictory statements such as “One nation prospers, one nation fell / One went to heaven, one was sent to hell.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of flowers, gold, and journey.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Cherokee Rose
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABCB rhyming pattern in the first and the last stanza and AABB in the rest of the stanzas.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There is a total of six stanzas, one repeated twice.
- Repetition: The poem shows the use of a rhetorical device of repetition that stresses upon the main idea, such as “Seven petals for seven tribes” as this entire stanza is repeated.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from ‘Cherokee Rose’ are relevant to use when teaching the ravages of colonialism in America.
Seven petals for seven tribes
growing on the trail where they cried.
Center of gold for the land white men stole.
Four thousand of my ancestors died.