Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gary Snyder’s "Prayer for the Great Family" is a poetic invocation of gratitude that blends elements of Native American spiritual traditions, Buddhist awareness, and ecological reverence. The poem functions as both a personal meditation and a communal blessing, acknowledging the interconnectedness of all living things with the earth. Structured in a rhythmic, chant-like form, the poem offers thanks to fundamental elements of existence—Earth, plants, air, wild beings, water, the sun, and the sky—each stanza ending with the affirmation “in our minds so be it.” This refrain echoes the call-and-response patterns of traditional prayers, reinforcing the poem’s function as a spiritual invocation rather than mere poetic reflection.

The poem opens with an offering of “Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day.” Snyder presents the Earth as a living, moving entity, emphasizing its cyclical motion through time. The phrase “sailing through night and day” evokes both a cosmic journey and the ceaseless flow of time. The poet acknowledges not just the Earth itself, but “her soil: rich, rare and sweet,” recognizing the source of fertility and sustenance that supports all life. By affirming this gratitude “in our minds so be it,” Snyder transforms the poem into a communal ritual, inviting the reader to internalize and participate in this awareness.

Turning to the plant world, the poet offers “Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing, light-changing leaf / and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind / and rain.” He highlights the silent, enduring existence of plants, their patient resilience as they absorb light, endure storms, and perform the unseen labor of growth. The phrase “their dance is in the flowering spiral grain” suggests a hidden rhythm in nature, an organic order that unfolds over time. The choice of words—“sun-facing,” “light-changing,” and “standing still”—evokes both dynamism and stillness, an awareness of the way plants exist in harmony with their surroundings.

Next, the poem acknowledges the air, recognizing its role as both a medium of movement and a carrier of life: “Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and silent / Owl at dawn.” The imagery of birds—one swift and energetic, the other silent and watchful—suggests the dual aspects of air as both active and serene. The phrase “Breath of our song” reminds the reader that air is not only a physical necessity but also an essential component of speech, music, and poetry. The “clear spirit breeze” further emphasizes air as a force of cleansing and renewal, reinforcing its connection to both physical and spiritual existence.

Snyder continues his cycle of gratitude by turning to the animal kingdom: “Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets, / freedoms, and ways.” Here, animals are not merely resources or symbols; they are “brothers,” equal participants in the great web of life. The phrase “teaching secrets” suggests that animals possess wisdom inaccessible to human understanding, while “freedoms and ways” acknowledges their independence and natural instincts. The line “who share with us their milk” highlights the tangible interdependence between species, as animals provide sustenance and knowledge alike.

Water, the next object of gratitude, is portrayed in its many forms: “clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers; / holding or releasing; streaming through all / our bodies salty seas.” Snyder’s depiction of water emphasizes its omnipresence, its ability to shift states, and its deep connection to human life. The phrase “holding or releasing” suggests water’s dual nature—its capacity to nourish and its power to overwhelm. By linking water to the “salty seas” within human bodies, Snyder reminds the reader that we are not separate from nature but rather reflections of it.

The poem then offers thanks to the sun: “Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through / trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where / bears and snakes sleep.” The sun, as the source of life, permeates all aspects of existence, from the smallest crevices to the open sky. The phrase “he who wakes us” positions the sun as both a literal force that brings the world to life each morning and a metaphorical force of enlightenment. Its warmth reaches not only plants and landscapes but also the hidden places of rest, such as caves where “bears and snakes sleep.” This inclusion of animals in hibernation further reinforces the cyclical nature of life and the interdependence of all beings.

Finally, the poem concludes with the most expansive invocation: “Gratitude to the Great Sky / who holds billions of stars— and goes yet beyond that— / beyond all powers, and thoughts / and yet is within us.” The sky is both infinite and intimate, a presence that surpasses human comprehension while remaining an integral part of human consciousness. By referring to the sky as “Grandfather Space,” Snyder evokes the concept of an ancestral, omnipresent force that connects all things. The final line—“The Mind is his Wife”—suggests a union between the vastness of the universe and the intimate realm of human thought. This marriage of mind and space encapsulates a central theme of the poem: that the external world and internal awareness are not separate but part of the same sacred continuity.

Throughout "Prayer for the Great Family," Snyder creates a poetic structure that mirrors traditional forms of prayer and ritual, using repetition and direct address to evoke a sense of reverence and participation. The poem functions not only as a statement of ecological awareness but also as an active invocation, inviting readers to join in the act of gratitude. By emphasizing interconnection, Snyder places humanity within the broader web of existence, reminding us that our well-being is inseparable from the health of the land, water, sky, and living beings that surround us. The final refrain—“so be it”—underscores this message, affirming that gratitude is not merely an intellectual exercise but a way of being in the world.

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