Introduction: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
“Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser first appeared in the 1983 collection Worlds Enough and Time. This reflective and poignant work is characterized by its deep sense of temporal distance and introspection. Grasser writes with a blend of tenderness and foresight, addressing future generations with wisdom, warnings, and hope. The main idea of the letter centers around the continuity of human experience and the lessons learned across time, as the author conveys a sense of responsibility and care for those who will inherit the world long after the author’s lifetime. Through vivid imagery and thoughtful reflection, Grasser explores themes of legacy, environmental stewardship, and the enduring connection between past, present, and future generations.
Text: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos
more than elephants, air conditioning more than air.
We loved honey, just loved it, and went into stores
to smell the sweet perfume of unworn leather shoes.
Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose
and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?
The petals only opened for the Middle C their wings
beat, so in the end, we protested with tuning forks.
You must think we hated the stars, the empty ladles,
because they conjured thirst. We didn’t. We thanked
them and called them lucky, we even bought the rights
to name them for our sweethearts. Believe it or not,
most people kept plants like pets and hired kids
like you to water them, whenever they went away.
And ice! Can you imagine? We put it in our coffee
and dumped it out at traffic lights, when it plugged up
our drinking straws. I had a dog once, a real dog,
who ate venison and golden yams from a plastic dish.
He was stubborn, but I taught him to dance and play
dead with a bucket full of chicken livers. And we danced
too, you know, at weddings and wakes, in basements
and churches, even when the war was on. Our cars
we mostly named for animals, and sometimes we drove
just to drive, to clear our heads of everything but wind.
Annotations: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
| Line | Annotation |
| “Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos more than elephants, air conditioning more than air.” | Grasser opens with a nostalgic plea, addressing future generations and clarifying that the technological conveniences (pianos, air conditioning) of the past were not valued more than nature (elephants, air). |
| “We loved honey, just loved it, and went into stores to smell the sweet perfume of unworn leather shoes.” | A sensory recollection of simple pleasures, associating honey with natural sweetness and the smell of new shoes with material comfort. |
| “Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?” | Introduces a symbolic relationship between nature (Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee), emphasizing the interdependence between species and the fragility of ecosystems. |
| “The petals only opened for the Middle C their wings beat, so in the end, we protested with tuning forks.” | A poetic and possibly fictive image suggesting that the bees’ wings produced a specific frequency that influenced nature, metaphorically hinting at human intervention (protests with tuning forks) to preserve nature. |
| “You must think we hated the stars, the empty ladles, because they conjured thirst. We didn’t.” | Addresses future misconceptions, explaining that past generations appreciated the stars despite their metaphorical associations with longing (empty ladles symbolizing thirst). |
| “We thanked them and called them lucky, we even bought the rights to name them for our sweethearts.” | Suggests a sentimental and commercialized relationship with the cosmos, where stars were not only admired but also commodified by naming them for loved ones. |
| “Believe it or not, most people kept plants like pets and hired kids like you to water them, whenever they went away.” | Describes the common practice of taking care of plants as cherished objects, and how younger generations were given responsibilities, emphasizing human connections with nature. |
| “And ice! Can you imagine? We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights, when it plugged up our drinking straws.” | Reflects on the casual use of ice as a luxury in beverages, highlighting the wasteful or indifferent behavior toward natural resources. |
| “I had a dog once, a real dog, who ate venison and golden yams from a plastic dish.” | A personal anecdote about a pet, showcasing the contrast between the natural (venison, yams) and the artificial (plastic dish), possibly critiquing materialism. |
| “He was stubborn, but I taught him to dance and play dead with a bucket full of chicken livers.” | A memory of training the dog, illustrating human-animal interaction as a mix of affection and control, where food is used to teach tricks. |
| “And we danced too, you know, at weddings and wakes, in basements and churches, even when the war was on.” | A reminder of the enduring nature of human joy (dancing) and resilience, even in the face of hardship such as war. |
| “Our cars we mostly named for animals, and sometimes we drove just to drive, to clear our heads of everything but wind.” | The nostalgic recollection of cars named after animals conveys a connection to the natural world, while the act of driving represents a means of escape and reflection. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
| Device | Definition | Example | Explanation |
| Allusion | A reference to another work, event, or place. | “Even when the war was on” | The reference to war alludes to historical events, grounding the poem in a specific time of hardship and resilience. |
| Anthropomorphism | Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities. | “He was stubborn, but I taught him to dance” | The speaker gives human traits to his dog, suggesting the animal can perform human-like actions. |
| Apostrophe | Addressing a non-present entity or person as if they were present. | “Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos…” | The speaker addresses their great, great grandchild directly, though they are in a different time period. |
| Assonance | The repetition of vowel sounds within words. | “Honey… stores… leather shoes” | The long “o” sound creates a soothing, reflective tone, matching the nostalgic content. |
| Caesura | A deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry. | “And ice! Can you imagine?” | The break after “ice” emphasizes the surprise and awe of the concept of using ice, creating a reflective pause. |
| Consonance | The repetition of consonant sounds, typically within or at the end of words. | “Tuning forks” | The “k” sound in “forks” echoes a sense of finality or resolution in the protest metaphor. |
| Enjambment | The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. | “whenever they went away. / And ice! Can you imagine?” | The thought flows across the line break, allowing the sentence to build momentum and surprise in the following line. |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration for emphasis or effect. | “And ice! Can you imagine?” | The amazement of using ice in coffee seems exaggerated, stressing the absurdity of such a luxury in the context of the future. |
| Imagery | Descriptive language that appeals to the senses. | “Venison and golden yams from a plastic dish.” | The vivid description appeals to taste and sight, bringing the scene to life. |
| Irony | A contrast between expectation and reality, often for humorous or reflective effect. | “We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights” | The casual use and waste of ice, something valuable in the future, creates a sense of irony. |
| Juxtaposition | Placing two contrasting ideas or elements close together for effect. | “Pianos… elephants” | The contrast between man-made (pianos) and natural (elephants) elements highlights the differences in values. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech that compares two unlike things directly, without using “like” or “as.” | “The empty ladles, because they conjured thirst” | The ladles metaphorically represent the stars and the human longing for meaning or fulfillment. |
| Metonymy | A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. | “We even bought the rights to name them for our sweethearts” | “Sweethearts” stands for loved ones, emphasizing how people commercialized their affection. |
| Onomatopoeia | A word that imitates a natural sound. | “Middle C their wings beat” | The use of “beat” imitates the sound of the bees’ wings, creating a more vivid sensory experience. |
| Personification | Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas. | “We thanked them and called them lucky” | The stars are personified as being able to bring “luck,” imbuing them with human qualities. |
| Simile | A comparison using “like” or “as.” | “Most people kept plants like pets” | The comparison between plants and pets highlights the care people gave to nature, emphasizing human attachment to non-human entities. |
| Symbolism | The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal sense. | “Stars, the empty ladles” | The stars symbolize human hopes and desires, while the empty ladles signify unfulfilled needs or aspirations. |
| Tone | The attitude or feeling conveyed by the author through word choice and style. | The overall tone is nostalgic and reflective, with hints of regret. | Grasser conveys a longing for the past while addressing the future, creating a wistful atmosphere that looks back on humanity’s past decisions and values. |
Themes: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
- Nostalgia for Nature: The poem reflects a deep sense of nostalgia for the natural world, highlighting how past generations cherished elements of nature that may no longer exist in the future. The speaker recalls the love for simple, natural pleasures, like honey and the scent of leather shoes, expressing a longing for a time when these things were taken for granted. The relationship between the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee is symbolic of the delicate balance of nature, now lost (“Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?”). This connection to nature contrasts with the artificial comforts of modernity, and the speaker laments the loss of these vital, natural relationships.
- Human Disconnection from Nature: As much as the poem reflects a love for nature, it also underscores the growing disconnection between humans and the natural environment. This is shown in the casual wastefulness of resources, like ice, which the speaker mentions dumping at traffic lights (“We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights”). The frivolous use of nature’s gifts, like treating ice as a disposable luxury, reflects humanity’s growing detachment from the environment and a failure to appreciate the finite nature of these resources. The speaker anticipates that the future generations, including the great, great grandchild, will struggle to understand this disconnection, and the poem serves as a reminder of what was lost.
- Legacy and Responsibility: The poem also emphasizes the theme of legacy and the responsibility that one generation has toward the next. The speaker seems aware that future generations will inherit a world that has been significantly altered, and there is an undercurrent of regret about the choices made in the past. By addressing the great, great grandchild directly, the speaker seeks to convey lessons learned, such as the importance of valuing nature over materialism (“Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos more than elephants, air conditioning more than air”). The speaker wants future generations to understand that, although past generations enjoyed the comforts of technology, they also cherished the natural world and, perhaps too late, fought to preserve it.
- Human Resilience and Joy Amid Hardship: Despite the underlying themes of loss and regret, the poem also celebrates human resilience and the ability to find joy even in difficult times. The speaker fondly recalls how people continued to dance at weddings and wakes, even during wartime (“And we danced too, you know, at weddings and wakes, in basements and churches, even when the war was on”). This passage reflects the human capacity to find moments of happiness and normalcy in the face of adversity. The ability to dance during hardship symbolizes the enduring spirit of humanity, suggesting that even as the world changes and challenges arise, people will continue to find ways to celebrate life and connect with one another.
Literary Theories and “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
| Literary Theory | Application to the Poem | References from the Poem |
| Ecocriticism | This theory focuses on the relationship between literature and the environment, examining how human interaction with nature is portrayed. In the poem, Grasser emphasizes the human impact on nature and expresses regret over the disconnection between humans and the natural world. The nostalgic tone highlights the loss of ecosystems and natural harmony. | The speaker recalls the interdependence of the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee, lamenting the loss of such relationships: “Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?” This illustrates the disruption of ecological balance, a key concern in ecocriticism. |
| Postmodernism | Postmodernism is characterized by a fragmented or playful representation of reality, often questioning traditional narratives or values. In Grasser’s poem, there is a juxtaposition of nostalgia for past values and ironic commentary on the absurdity of modern human practices, such as casually wasting ice. The speaker reflects on how humans have altered nature and their own lives, creating a sense of disorientation regarding time and values. | The line “We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights” shows a postmodern irony and absurdity in how society treats natural resources, reflecting a sense of loss and fragmented value systems. |
| New Historicism | New Historicism examines literature in the context of its historical moment, focusing on how cultural, social, and political contexts influence the text. In this poem, Grasser reflects on human behavior and its consequences through the lens of a future generation. The speaker recalls a time when humans took both nature and technology for granted, subtly critiquing modern consumerism and environmental degradation. | The references to historical events like war (“even when the war was on”) and cultural practices (“We even bought the rights to name them for our sweethearts”) provide a historical and cultural backdrop, allowing readers to see the poem as a critique of contemporary practices in light of future consequences. |
Critical Questions about “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
· How does the poem reflect the consequences of human actions on nature?
- Grasser’s poem reveals a profound sense of loss and regret over humanity’s impact on the natural world. The reference to the interdependence between the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee (“Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?”) emphasizes how delicate ecosystems were once in balance. This relationship, now seemingly lost, suggests that human intervention, such as protests with tuning forks, could not preserve nature’s harmony. The poem reflects on the consequences of overconsumption, evident in casual behaviors like wasting ice (“We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights”), underscoring the long-term environmental damage caused by such disregard for nature’s resources.
· What role does nostalgia play in the poem’s portrayal of the past?
- Nostalgia permeates the poem, shaping the speaker’s reflections on a simpler time when humans had a closer relationship with nature. The speaker fondly recalls everyday sensory experiences, such as the smell of honey and leather shoes (“We loved honey, just loved it, and went into stores to smell the sweet perfume of unworn leather shoes”). These vivid memories suggest that past generations cherished the natural world, but the tone also implies regret that these moments were fleeting and that future generations, like the great, great grandchild, may never experience such beauty. The poem’s nostalgic lens casts the past as a time of innocence, contrasting sharply with the wastefulness and detachment of modern life.
· In what ways does the poem critique modern consumerism and materialism?
- Grasser critiques modern consumerism through the casual references to wasteful behavior, such as the careless use of ice and indulgent consumption of luxury goods. The speaker’s memory of his dog, fed on venison and golden yams from a plastic dish (“I had a dog once, a real dog, who ate venison and golden yams from a plastic dish”), highlights the absurdity of excess in a world where natural resources are limited. Similarly, the line “We even bought the rights to name them for our sweethearts” illustrates how even celestial bodies, traditionally seen as symbols of timeless beauty and mystery, were commodified for personal gain. These critiques highlight the increasing disconnection between humanity and the natural world, where material comforts overshadow more meaningful connections to nature.
· How does the poem address the theme of legacy and responsibility to future generations?
- The poem is framed as a letter to a future descendant, underscoring the theme of legacy and responsibility. The speaker addresses their great, great grandchild directly, expressing both concern and hope for the future. Through this format, the speaker imparts lessons and wisdom, explaining that although past generations enjoyed material comforts, they also valued nature (“Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos more than elephants, air conditioning more than air”). The speaker seems to regret the damage caused by previous generations and wishes to clarify their intentions, hoping that future generations might learn from these mistakes. This reflective tone emphasizes the responsibility we have to protect the world for those who come after us.
Literary Works Similar to “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
- “For the Children” by Gary Snyder
Similar to Grasser’s work, this poem addresses future generations, offering both wisdom and warnings about environmental stewardship and the importance of living in harmony with nature. - “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats
Yeats’ poem, like Grasser’s, grapples with the idea of a world in decline, reflecting on societal breakdown and the impending consequences for future generations. - “A Far Cry from Africa” by Derek Walcott
This poem explores themes of human violence and the destruction of nature, much like Grasser’s work, focusing on the ecological and moral costs of human actions. - “Lines Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth
Wordsworth’s poem, like Grasser’s, expresses regret for humanity’s separation from the natural world and laments the loss of a simpler, more harmonious relationship with nature.
Representative Quotations of “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos more than elephants, air conditioning more than air.” | The speaker opens the poem by addressing misconceptions future generations might have about their values. | Ecocriticism: Highlights the tension between technological comfort and environmental values. |
| “We loved honey, just loved it, and went into stores to smell the sweet perfume of unworn leather shoes.” | Describes a sensory memory of simple, everyday pleasures associated with nature and material goods. | Nostalgia: Expresses a longing for the past and simpler, nature-centered pleasures. |
| “Did you know, on the coast of Africa, the Sea Rose and Carpenter Bee used to depend on each other?” | Reflects on a specific, possibly symbolic, natural relationship that has been lost over time. | Ecocriticism: Emphasizes the fragile interdependence of ecosystems and species. |
| “The petals only opened for the Middle C their wings beat, so in the end, we protested with tuning forks.” | Describes human attempts to intervene in or protest the destruction of nature, though the efforts seem futile. | Postmodernism: Suggests a sense of disillusionment with human efforts to protect nature. |
| “You must think we hated the stars, the empty ladles, because they conjured thirst. We didn’t.” | Responds to the potential misinterpretation that past generations were indifferent to the beauty of nature. | New Historicism: Challenges future views of past cultural and environmental values. |
| “We even bought the rights to name them for our sweethearts.” | Describes how even the stars were commodified by people in the past, bought and named for loved ones. | Consumerism: Critiques the commodification of natural elements for personal, sentimental gain. |
| “Most people kept plants like pets and hired kids like you to water them, whenever they went away.” | Reflects on how people once treated plants with care, creating a personal connection with nature. | Anthropocentrism: Explores the human-centered approach to nature, treating it as an extension of domestic life. |
| “And ice! Can you imagine? We put it in our coffee and dumped it out at traffic lights.” | Highlights the casual and wasteful use of resources like ice, which future generations might find unbelievable. | Irony: Critiques human wastefulness and the casual disregard for natural resources. |
| “I had a dog once, a real dog, who ate venison and golden yams from a plastic dish.” | The speaker recalls their pet, emphasizing the excesses of human consumption, even for animals. | Materialism: Critiques the absurdity of overindulgence and consumerism. |
| “And we danced too, you know, at weddings and wakes, in basements and churches, even when the war was on.” | Reminisces about the resilience of people in maintaining joy and traditions, even during difficult times. | Humanism: Celebrates the enduring spirit and resilience of humanity in the face of adversity. |
Suggested Readings: “Letter to My Great, Great Grandchild” by J.P. Grasser
- Satchidanandan, K. Greening the earth: A global anthology of poetry. Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2023.
- Grasser, J. P. “Harvest Festival.” Prairie Schooner, vol. 89, no. 2, 2015, pp. 70–70. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24639900. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
- GRASSER, J. P. “Stumbling on Clair de Lune.” Agni, no. 84, 2016, pp. 46–47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44074659. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
- GRASSER, J. P. “Lesson In Winter.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 126, no. 4, 2018, p. 653. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48558253. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
- GRASSER, J. P. “Wild Thought.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 126, no. 4, 2018, pp. 651–52. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48558252. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
- GRASSER, J. P. “Headlong.” Ploughshares, vol. 47, no. 4, 2021, pp. 57–58. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27093309. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.