A Key into the Language of America [Paperback]

Rosmarie Waldrop (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1643 Roger Williams published a study on the language of the Narragansett Indians entitled A Key Into the Language of America. Waldrop, author of a penetrating translation of Edmond Jabes's The Book of Questions, emulates the structure of Williams's primer, here offering 32 compact chapters, each divided into a prose section, a "word list," another prose section and a few lines of verse. Waldrop wants to recreate the linguistic and cultural tensions between the Narragansett Native Americans and their European colonial adversaries, while alluding to her own experience as a post-WWII, female German intellectual in the U.S. She uses language as a generative source of conflict and forges phrases from Williams's book with phrases and words from her own consciousness. Seeking incompatible combinations, her writing subsumes clarity beneath a craft of displaced meaning and addresses personal experience only in a general manner. This technique works so well that it defeats itself, since the sentences by nature tend to dissipate in the mind, rather than sink in. The blueprint may be fascinating and the premise noble, but the actual text of "A Key" fails to compel; it seems oversophisticated and academic. Though experimentally as exciting as Susan Howe's work, it's a tad too impersonal. A near miss from a talented writer and translator.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A Key Into The Language Of America: 1. Salutations
A Key Into The Language Of America: 10. Of The Season Of The Yeere
A Key Into The Language Of America: 11. Of Travell
A Key Into The Language Of America: 12. Concerning The Heavens And
A Key Into The Language Of America: 13. Of The Weather
A Key Into The Language Of America: 14. Of The Winds
A Key Into The Language Of America: 15. Of Fowle
A Key Into The Language Of America: 16. Of The Earth And Fruits
A Key Into The Language Of America: 17. Of Beasts
A Key Into The Language Of America: 18. Of The Sea
A Key Into The Language Of America: 19. Of Fish And Fishing
A Key Into The Language Of America: 2. Of Eating And Entertainment
A Key Into The Language Of America: 20. Of Their Nakednesse
A Key Into The Language Of America: 21. Of Religion, The Soule
A Key Into The Language Of America: 22. Of Their Government And
A Key Into The Language Of America: 23. Of Marriage
A Key Into The Language Of America: 24. Concerning Their Coyne
A Key Into The Language Of America: 25. Of Buying And Selling
A Key Into The Language Of America: 26. Of Debts And Trusting
A Key Into The Language Of America: 27. Of Their Hunting
A Key Into The Language Of America: 28. Of Their Gaming
A Key Into The Language Of America: 29. Of Their Warre
A Key Into The Language Of America: 3. Concerning Sleepe And Lodging
A Key Into The Language Of America: 30. Of Their Paintings
A Key Into The Language Of America: 31. Of Sicknesse
A Key Into The Language Of America: 32. Of Death And Buriall
A Key Into The Language Of America: 4. Of Their Numbers
A Key Into The Language Of America: 5. Of Their Relations
A Key Into The Language Of America: 6. Of The Family And Businesse
A Key Into The Language Of America: 7. Of Their Persons
A Key Into The Language Of America: 8. Of Discourse And Newes
A Key Into The Language Of America: 9. Of The Time Of The Day
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 66 pages
• Publisher: New Directions (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811212874
• ISBN-13: 978-0811212878
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,046,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1.0 out of 5 stars A broken key, November 5, 2011

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TRON - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Key into the Language of America (Paperback)

My experience reading A Key Into the Language of America was like Rosemarie Waldrop's struggle as a German immigrant to read Indian place names: It irritated me. I was distracted trying to figure out how the text related to Waldrop's stated themes of gender and "marginalization of the conquered." Why did she have to put a burden on the reader to discover what everything means? Her reluctance to uncover even the most basic aspects of her message to the reader was frustrating. I felt this was an experiment in verse in which we were all unwilling subjects. Like the conqueror, you can do whatever you want when you're the writer, and in twist of unintentionally ironic justice, Waldrop made me feel like the conquered.

Waldrop explains "A Key Into the Language of America" is a reflection on the violent clash of Indian and European cultures through a collage of juxtapositions from William's book and her Western heritage. Be that as it may, it appeared to me like she was using the theme as a springboard of inspiration for writing poetry than a genuine attempt at addressing it. Her poems, though vexing, were nice if I wasn't trying to search for the connection she stressed in the introduction. There's no denying her style is chaotic but I don't think that alone could have achieved her goal of representing tension between Indian and European culture. Also, since she is trying to illustrate the violent clash between the Indians and Englishmen I think William's was a poor choice to do that. Someone who actually represents to us the violence of the colonizer would be a better choice. Williams was able to keep the peace between the Indians and English in Rhode Island for nearly 40 years because of his constant mediation and negotiation, and he twice surrendered himself as a hostage to the Indians to guarantee the safe return of their leaders.

However true this is, Waldrop might argue that Williams' hands were not totally clean in history because his book aided the English to more efficiently take advantage of the Narragansetts. If that's the case, and she wanted to use Williams to illustrate that, then I think Waldrop should have made an effort to integrate more of his book into hers. 98 percent of the words are Waldrop's, and the traces that are Williams's, mostly don't contribute to the themes.

The word lists were the most baffling part of each chapter. They constantly reminded me of the forced and superficial similarity she is trying to draw between her book and Roger Williams's. Williams had word lists in his book so she'll have word lists in hers? I struggled to see any intrinsic value or even a connection to the theme of the book. I think it would be a stretch to call this more than an entertaining exercise in semantics. Little substance, all style.

To Waldrop's credit, her book is attempting a risky and complicated transaction between two authors, and I've never read any poems as thoroughly and with as much intensity as these. The structure of the book and her prose invite analysis and deep introspection, which is why I was struck by the final paragraph of the introduction:
"All in all, my book could be called an immigrant's take on the heritage and complex early history of my adopted country. Or perhaps a dive into the waters of the Moosup and Pawtuxet Rivers, of Mishnock, Ninigret, Pasquiset, Watchaug, Wesquage, and Yawgoog Ponds."
Freestyle poetry + word lists = Immigrant's take on the heritage and complex early history of America? She slapped a straightforward theme over top of this anything-but-straightforward collection of intentionally ambiguous text. I think she either failed to fulfill her book's objective or her introduction is too simplistic, though probably a little of both.

The most understandable, and thus enjoyable part for me of the book was the italic narrative section within each chapter with the "voice" of an adolescent girl. My favorite poem is on page 18, Chapter VIII, but I was confused by Waldrop's explanation of these sections. In the introduction, she describes the voice of this young woman to be someone who's ambivalent about her sex and position among the conquerors. With the exception of a legitimately distressed portion of our society who is confused about their respective genders, how is this adolescent girl ambivalent about her sex? She is using the word "ambivalent" ....um...ambivalently! More importantly, I think Waldrop missed an opportunity to make this character her adolescent self. She establishes a connection between herself as an immigrant, woman, and poet to "the conquered", "the foreigner," Rhode Island, and her identical initials to Williams (ha!), yet I feel that personal connection never materialized in a meaningful way to the reader. This character was an opening for that, and as I read the book I felt I might have had a better understanding if it had more of the author's psyche come through here.

I love the idea that William's work has come full circle. His intended use was for the English but it gives today's Native Americans a glimpse into their ancestor's traditions. His impact has been greater than he ever intended. Unfortunately, Waldrop's book does nothing to enrich our historical or contextual understanding of Williams. In fact, I think she actually has more in common with the conquerors than with Williams. She stole from Williams, claiming mutual benefit, the title and chapters - A parallel to what's left today of the Native American's place names.

Williams wrote his book not only to teach a language but also to teach a lesson to his fellow Englishmen. At the end of each of William's chapters was a final moralizing poem. In these poems, the Indians serve as a mirror to be held up to the Christians. He recognized that the Indians' use of their land (ex: hunting, burning brush), although not cultivated by English standards, was rational and thoughtful. In a similar vein, I wish that when I read Waldrop I saw something rational or coherent. Instead, I feel like the English who only saw savage otherness in the Narragansetts. Perhaps one day someone will write "A Key Into the Language of A Key Into the Language of America".

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magesterial?, May 10, 2004

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Catherine Daly "Catherine Daly" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Key into the Language of America (Paperback)

This is a fabulous book, a true treasure, an amazing and revelatory book to read.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great service!, September 3, 2009

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N. Vereen - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Key into the Language of America (Paperback)

Excellent service--very quick shipping. I got the product within just a few days of my payment. Book is exactly like it was described on website. I would definitely work with them again!