19 pages • 38 minutes read
Different Ways to Pray
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Symbols & Motifs
Nature
The natural world is consistently present in “Different Ways to Pray,” acknowledging the importance of and respect for nature. In Islam, Khalifah stands for the idea that everyone should function as a guardian of earth, treating earth—and all nature—with respect. Many Muslims believe that humans are meant to care for and protect the earth. In “Different Ways to Pray,” nature repeatedly appears as a symbol for this concept of guardianship, reverence, and respect. For example, Stanza 2 describes the shepherds who call out to a higher power complaining of pain: “We have so much pain there is no place to store it!” (Line 14). However, their prayer goes unanswered. Instead, Nye’s speaker describes their natural surroundings, the “olives [bobbing] peacefully” (Line 15) and how each night “the men ate heartily, flat bread and white cheese” (Line 17). Nye shows that despite the shepherd’s pain, the earth cares for them, providing them with what they need to live abundantly: food, shelter, and peace. They are, as Nye’s speaker puts it, “happy in spite of the pain” (Line 18). Because they are shepherds who watch over their flock (who watch over the earth), nature provides what they need.
Similarly, nature appears as a symbol again in Stanza 4 when Nye describes the women who care for the home. They, too, have a difficult life full of tiring work. However, the earth provides for them. They’re able to “[lug] water from the spring” (Line 30) and have baskets full of grapes to eat (Line 31). Births occur and children have dresses with “intricate needlework” (Line 34). All the elements of life come from earth: food, water, and material for clothing.
Nature weaves in and out of “Different Ways to Pray” as an essential symbol of how intricately connected nature is to ritual, prayer, and life. In Stanza 4 when the pilgrims are at Mecca, they “bend to kiss the earth” (Line 26) in thanks and gratitude. Lastly, Fowzi directly speaks to God through nature: He “insisted he spoke with God as he spoke with goats” (Line 47). Nye’s final statement about prayer acknowledges that speaking to God is no different from speaking to nature itself in the form of an animal, a plant, or a tree.
The Twig and the Moon
In Stanza 5, the symbol of the “twig” (Line 41) and the “round moon” (41) appear—two iconic Islamic symbols. The twig represents the miswak: a stick or twig that’s commonly used in Islam to clean the teeth and gums. Often used five times a day before every prayer, the twig symbolizes ritualist Islamic purity and functions as a symbol of deep devotion and religious practice.
The moon represents many things, including the Islamic calendar. However, the most symbolic representation of the moon is its function as the guidance of God through the path of life. When Islam was formed in Arabia, travel and trade through the desert typically happened a night; the round moon, therefore, functioned as a guiding light.
The symbol of the twig and the moon appear in Line 41 of “Different Ways to Pray” when the speaker references “those who didn’t care about praying. / The young ones” (Lines 36-37). These are people who have traveled to America, emigrated from the Middle East, and have turned their back on religion and payer. The old ones, however, still act as follows:
They prayed for Allah to mend their brains,
for the twig, the round moon,
to speak suddenly in a commanding tone (Lines 40-42).
By praying for these two symbols to speak to the younger generation, the older generation is hoping the younger will find their way back to religious dedication. Through the symbol of the moon, the older ones pray Allah will show the younger ones the way, guiding them back to the faith. Through the symbol of the twig, they hope the younger ones will rediscover their religious piety and return to daily rituals and prayer. Both symbols illustrate the older generation’s desperation for the younger to hear Allah’s “commanding tone” (Line 42) and practice prayer again.
Pilgrimage
The symbol of the pilgrimage occurs throughout “Different Ways to Pray” in various forms. Most clearly, the symbol is noted in Stanza 3 when Nye describes those who perform the annual Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is required for all Muslims and must be conducted at least once in one’s lifetime. For many, it is a long, challenging journey to the sacred site. The Hajj is full of ritual. A Muslim performs many important customs on their journey to Mecca and after they arrive.
Nye includes other forms of pilgrimage in “Different Ways to Pray,” however, acknowledging that informal pilgrimages daily occur in life. For example, the women in Stanza 4 do not journey to the holy site, but instead journey back and forth from the spring, “lugging water” (Line 30). Similarly, the shepherds in Stanza 2 “have been shepherds so long / they walked like sheep” (Lines 10-11). Their religious pilgrimage has occurred throughout their life in the form of tending to their herds, keeping them safe, and protecting the earth.
Another form of pilgrimage occurs in Stanza 5 with the young who “had been to America” (Line 37). They too have traveled far to another country and culture; however, their travels have led them away from prayer and religion. Pilgrimage, which is defined as a pilgrim’s journey, functions as a symbol of travel. In “Different Ways to Pray,” this symbol recognizes that prayer is something one carries with them throughout the journey of life, regardless of how, when, or if it’s performed. Nye’s use of pilgrimage comments on the journey of the everyday and how prayer, like pilgrimage, becomes a way of life rather than a part of life.
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By Naomi Shihab Nye
