Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Analyzing and Critically Evaluating "I Would Steal Horses" by Sherman Alexie

"I Would Steal Horses" by Sherman Alexie is a captivating poem that delves into the complexities of love, legacy, and identity. The poem has a tender, confessional tone, encompassing a range of emotions such as fear, vulnerability, and awe. Alexie explores themes of sacrifice, the intricacies of relationships, and the contrasts between different kinds of labor and impact.

The poem opens with a compelling line, "I would steal horses for you, if there were any left," which immediately captures the reader's attention. This line invokes the romantic trope of grand, even law-breaking gestures made in the name of love, but it also nods to the historical context. The phrase "if there were any left" alludes to the extinction of wild horses and, indirectly, to the destruction of Native American ways of life. It sets a tone of historical loss that hangs over the poem like a specter.

The focus then shifts to the father, an "auto mechanic in the small town where you were born." The description of the father is imbued with respect and a tinge of fear. The speaker admires the father's hands, which "have rebuilt more of the small parts of this world than I ever will." These lines juxtapose two different kinds of labor: the father's manual work, which has tangible, immediate results, and the speaker's (presumably intellectual or artistic) labor, which feels abstract and less impactful by comparison. The phrase "rebuilt more of the small parts of this world" also subtly alludes to the decline and change in Native American life, a world of "small parts" fragmented and needing to be rebuilt.

In the following lines, the speaker introduces the concept of treaties and promises, stating, "I would sign treaties for you, take every promise as the last lie." This is a powerful line that speaks to both personal relationships and larger socio-political contexts. The use of the word "treaties" is particularly poignant given the historical exploitation of Native Americans through broken treaties. The line reveals a skepticism about the possibility of any promise or agreement being unflinchingly honest or lasting, a skepticism born out of historical experience.

The concluding lines of the poem, "I would wrap us both in old blankets / hold every disease tight against our skin," further the theme of sacrifice and willingness to share even the painful aspects of life. The "old blankets" evoke a history of shared experiences and hardships, while "every disease" may refer to the physical and socio-cultural illnesses that have plagued Native American communities.

Alexie's style in this poem is direct and stripped-down, with no superfluous words or images. Every line serves to deepen the thematic concerns of the poem and heighten its emotional impact. Despite its brevity, the poem is emotionally expansive, creating a narrative arc that transitions from grand romantic gestures to intimate familial observations to the unsettling realities of both personal and historical betrayals.

In "I Would Steal Horses," Sherman Alexie masterfully fuses the personal and the political, the contemporary and the historical, capturing complex emotions and situations in a few spare lines. It is a poem that invites the reader to consider the intricacies of love, the weight of history, and the complicated tapestry of human relationships.

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