Cultural Inheritances In Polynesian Poetry Essay Research

Cultural Inheritances In Polynesian Poetry Essay, Research Paper

The poetical work of Albert Wendt, Apirana Taylor,

Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, Hone Tuwhare, Keri Hulme,

Gloria Rawlinson, J. C. Sturm, and Roma Potiki all have

voices that are informed by and reflect their Polynesian

cultural inheritances in various ways. The main ways in

which these inheritances can be seen to be reflected, is by

showing the poets inclusion of their culture s mythology,

customs, and civilisation. The way in which these poets

voices have been informed by their cultures, can be seen

with describing the way these poets address their culture s

concerns.

Albert Wendt was born in Western Samoa. The reflections

of his Polynesian cultural inheritances is evident in the way

he uses their mythologies in his poetry. In his poem No

Return there is an obvious use of culture s mythology:

her journey to Pulotu has no dawn. (p109) Pulotu is the

spirit world in Polynesian mythology. In The Mountains of

Ta u he draws on the famous legend of Maui: like

spinning tops or Maui s endlessly / inventing mind. (p110)

Maui is an important part of Polynesian mythology; Maui is

a demigod who is used to tell of many stories.

There are also reflections of Polynesian cultural

inheritances in Hone Tuwhare s use of mythology in his

poetry. Tuwhare was born in Kaikohe, and belongs to the

Ngapuhi hapus Ngati Korokoro, Ngati Tautahi, Te

Popoto, and Uri-O-Hau. In his poem Papa-tu-a-nuku , he

uses Maori mythology. The title, Papa-tu-a-nuku , means

Earth Mother , which is part of a number of nature s

elements that are personified in Maori mythology. Hense,

the earth being personified as a mother, and the content of

the poem involving this interaction with the earth:

We are massaging the ricked

back of the land

with our sore but ever-loving feet:

hell, she loves it!

Squirming, the land wriggles

in delight. (p242)

The reflections of Polynesian cultural inheritances are also

evident in Apirana Taylor s use of Maori mythology.

Taylor is of Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngati Porou and Ngati

Ruanui descent. In his poem The Womb , when describing

the grievances of the land because of the settlers damaging

it, he desribes the land s retaliation in the form of a Maori

myth: that of the god Ruamoko:

I am the land

the womb of life and death

Ruamoko the unborn god

rumbles within me

and the fires of Ruapehu still live. (p101)

Further, In the poetry of Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, there

are also reflections of Polynesian cultural inheritances of

mythology. Throughout the voice of Sanctuary of Spirits

many Polynesian legends are referred to; such as Te

Rauparaha, Tama, Hakitara, Pehi, Te Hiko, Tamaiharanui,

etc. Throughout the voice of The Dark Lord of Savaiki

legends such as Paroa and Paetou are mentioned. The

name in the title itself is synonymous with his culture s

mythology. In Soul Traps , the legend of Maui is present

again, as in Wendt s The Mountains of Ta u ; Maui is

often referred to in Polynesian poetry.

It is not only the poets use of mythology in their poetry

that reflects their cultural inheritances; it is also in the

content of many of their poems that show the customs and

civilisation of their culture. This is evident in the poetry of

Tuwhare; such as in Tangi . A Tangi is the maori meaning

for a funeral, which is a traditional ritual that Maoris

undertake with the goodbyes and burial of the dead. The

bowed heads / of old women (p237) invokes an image

that is synonymous with a Tangi. In the poem Dear

Cousin , there is reference to food (or kai ) that is

synonymous with Maori s preference for such. This

includes Puha, Kamokamo, riwai, etc, which is represented

in the following extract: and on it place a steaming pot of

puha, / kamokamo, riwai. (p245)

The poetry of Keri Hulme also shows a reflecting of Maori

cultural inheritances through her inclusions of their

customs in her poetry. This is evident in her poetry from

Fishing the Olearia Tree . In this, the food that is

described is synonomous with Maori kai ; such as kumara,

yams, muttonbirds, etc:

pink flesh of smoked eels, the tangy succulence of

oysters,

muttonbirds grilled so their skin crackles and the sweet

fat bastes

the kumara, the baked yams, the wrinkled salmon-pink

yams. (p86)

Throughout the poetry of Gloria Rawlinson; her inclusion

of the civilisation of her culture, reflects the cultural

inheritances from her old home of Tonga. This is evident in

her poem The Islands Where I Was Born . The poem is

about the memories of her home, as suggested by the title.

Consequently, many aspects of her cultura

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