Dear John Wayne Poem

America and the American people have always strived to be the best and to have the best no matter the cost. There are many examples throughout history and even in today’s society that supports this claim. When people first started coming to America and heading west they claimed land that was not theirs to claim. In the process many Native Americans died protecting their sacred ground. Now fast forward to today’s society were Americans dedicate their whole lives to becoming the best and will stop at nothing until they obtain it. Through the short poems of “Dear John Wayne” by Louise Erdrich and “Slam, Dunk, and Hook” by Yusef Komunyakaa it will show that America has always strived to become the best time and time again. Louise Erdrich poem “Dear John Wayne” can have many different settings throughout the reading and can attract to people of many separate races. The poem starts out with a group of people at a drive-in movie theater watching a John Wayne Western. It then goes into a scene where people are looking for Native Americans which turn into a battle taking place. John Wayne wins

“When Sonny Boy’s mama died he played nonstop all day, so hard our backboard splintered.” (Komunyakaa). Though out history all fame can be summed up by the act of love of something. Driving factors can be love for a parent, such as in the quotes above. Sonny Boy pushed himself through the sport of basketball to cope with his mother’s death. The love of your country/ land such as the Native Americans when fighting for Americans not to take and tarnish the land they respected and loved so much, fame was achieved by both parties of the war when American children learn about it in history classes today. Finally people can have the love of themselves to achieve fame, travelers moved west to make a better life for themselves and wanting to make