THE SKY CLEARS

Mr. Day has collected a great mass of American Indian poetry in translations, and has included his own scholarly analysis of the purpose, types, style, and difficulties in translation. Indian poetry actually words to a chant or song -- usually had a religious purpose; therefore, the light-packed symbolism is extremely difficult to unravel without a knowledge of the ceremony or circumstance for which the poem was used. There have been some allen ""white"" intrusions in the later poetry, but the pure Indian poetry has a style and rhythm of its own. Included are examples of poetry from the Eskimos of the Arctic coast, ""totem-pole makers"" of the Northwest, desert Indians of the Southwest, forest dwellers of the East and the Mayas and Aztecs of Ancient Mexico. A fascinating insight into the culture of the first Americans. Scholar market.