Heritage Linda Hogan Summary

The poem “Heritage”, written by Linda Hogan, tells the story of each trait she inherited and the lessons she learned from key members of her family. When analyzing poetry, there are many literary elements that the reader can observe. These elements can range from diction, syntax and rhyme schemes. In Hogan’s poem, there are three literary elements that stand out the most. These are figurative language, tone and diction. By using figurative language, Hogan can better communicate her ideas towards the audience. The use of tone allows the reader to understand the character’s feelings. Lastly, her choice of diction determines how the reader views the story. The author’s use of these three elements allows the audience to connect to the poem because

like Hogan, we all inherit and learn many things from those within our family.
Figurative language is often used to enhance many different styles of writing. When writing poetry, it is important to use figurative language. Types of figurative language include similes, metaphors, imagery, and personification. When reading Hogan’s poem, I noticed various examples of figurative language. Lines 24-27 read, “When her coffee can full of black saliva/ spilled on me/ it was like the brown cloud of grasshoppers/ that leveled her fields.” This quote contains a simile, which is used to compare two things using the word “like” or “as.” She also incorporates two out of five of her senses. The poem reads, “where I watch my face take on her lines”, “she left me the smell of baking bread”, and “smells like our old houses.” Hogan uses imagery throughout her writing as well, which allows her to paint a picture in the audience’s mind. For example, she writes “It was the brown stain/ that covered my white shirt.” Another example is “That sweet black liquid like the food/ she chewed up and spit into my father’s mouth/ when he was an infant.” Visually, we can picture these words in our mind. Figurative language is important because it allows the author to communicate an idea to the audience that is not easily understood.
Tone is described as the author’s attitude towards a subject.

After reading and analyzing this poem, I have observed varying tones throughout the piece. The poem begins by describing what characteristics she has obtained from her mother’s side. She writes, “she left the large white breasts that weigh down/ my body” and “my whiteness a shame.” The tone of these two phrases could be described as ashamed and disappointed. The poem’s tone immediately changes in the second stanza. The author begins talking about her father’s side and how proud she is to learn of her Chickasaw heritage. The poem reads, “From my father I take his brown eyes”, “He was the man/ who sang old chants to me”, and “I learned to kill a snake/ when you’re begging for rain.” When telling about her father’s side, the author’s tone is more compassionate and interested. When the author talks about her grandmother, she uses more detail; however, her tone is much different. I concluded that the grandma was not too fond of the fact that she was half white. It seemed as if she cared a great deal about what her grandmother thought of her. Hogan seemed ashamed of her white background, but was proud of the fact that she had a Chickasaw heritage. The author goes on to conclude the poem with the sentence, “From my family I have learned the secrets/ of never having a home.” The author switched to a contradicting and curious tone, leaving the reader wondering what she meant. Tone is important because it helps connect the reader to the story and allows them to feel what the character or author is

feeling.
Diction is the style of writing that depends on the choice and use of words and phrases. This is another important literary element used when writing. Hogan’s poem consists of mostly simple words and phrases that are used in everyday language, except for a few. For example, she describes her former houses using the word “old”, but she could have used the word “aged” or “ancient.” On line 24, Hogan uses the word “saliva” instead of the word “spit.” I also noticed that Hogan first refers to tobacco as “snuff”, but then continues to address it as “tobacco” throughout the remainder of the poem. The effect of this poem’s vocabulary creates a casual and everyday diction, which allows the reader to connect to the author. If this poem were written with formal diction, Hogan may have not been able to get her point across to her audience. Without the use of proper diction, the poem can be read with many different meanings.
In conclusion, the use of figurative language, tone and diction are all observed in Linda Hogan’s poem “Heritage.” The author use of these devices help develop the theme of the poem by enhancing the writing, connecting the reader and creating a better understanding for the piece. The reader can connect to this piece because of the author’s use of simple, everyday words and phrases. We can all connect to this poem because like Hogan, we all inherit and learn different things from members in our families. Each of us have key pieces in our lives that were once passed down to us, and we will one day pass those pieces down to others.