Shoulders

Naomi Shihab Nye published “Shoulders” in her seventh collection of poetry, Red Suitcase (1994). “Shoulders” discusses the importance of caring for one another as seen through the image of a father carrying his young son across a busy street. Nye uses this intimate family portrait to examine humanity at large, centering love as the most essential tool in raising the next generation (see: Poem Analysis).

Nye asserts that poetry does not exist in a vacuum. Her influences include poets such as Carl Sandburg, William Stafford, and Lucille Clifton; each of their works being essential to the creation of her own. Nye has Sandberg’s penchant for colloquial speech and Stafford’s fascination with ordinary and local subjects. She writes about identity with the same passion and hope found in Clifton’s poetry. However, she crafts a voice that is still uniquely her own. “Shoulders” serves as a prime example of Nye’s warmth and human insight, exposing readers to an alternative future in which love and empathy prevail (see: Further Literary Resources, “All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks”).

Other works by this author include The Turtle of Oman,

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