19 Varieties of Gazelle

Throughout 19 varieties of Gazelle, Naomi Shihab Nye tells many great stories through her poetry. She talks about her experiences of being Palestinian American and most importantly her family. Though many of Naomi’s poems do not directly mention and family member, you can see that she reflects on her experiences and her love for her family members through her poetry. For example: in the “ my grandmother” poem, Naomi talks about the sadness and grasping of her grandmother moving on, or passing away. In the third stanza it is as if she showing a thankfulness for her grandmother. However, never do the words in the poem show on the paper that it is her grandmother that she is indeed referring to. The talent and content in the poem is what leads you to believe that it is indeed her grandmother. In the poem “ my father and the figtree” Naomi speaks about her father and her memories of him and his love for a figtree. Because the figtree is sentimental to her father, it becomes sentimental to her. Also, her father’s memories of the fig tree become her memories of the figtree. 19 Varieties of Gazelle is Naomi’s way of showing us some experiences in her life and the meaning of her family to her through her amazing poetic talents.