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Naomi Shihab NyeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye (1995)
Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Kindness” appears in her eighth collection of poetry, Words Under the Words (1995). “Kindness” is a philosophical poem that defines compassion not just as a discrete action but also as a way of living. Throughout the poem, Nye argues that kindness is not an inherently selfless act, but rather that kindness is a rational mode of living. The poem gently reminds readers that every person on Earth lives a complex life, full of joy and heartache, and that the only way to weather the hardships is to be kind to friends and strangers alike. Nye’s thematic concerns about empathy and kindness as tools for radical, societal change parallel that of “Shoulders,” creating a thread of hope and optimism that runs throughout Nye’s collected works.
“Boy and Egg” by Naomi Shihab Nye (1998)
The poem “Boy and Egg” was published in Nye’s ninth collection of poetry, Fuel (1998), and tells the story of a young boy living on a farm. The poem provides a snapshot of a small child collecting eggs from the hen house, quietly communing with nature each time he performs this task. Nye explores the connection between humanity and the natural world, using the young boy as a symbol of innocence.
By Naomi Shihab Nye
300 Goats
300 Goats
Naomi Shihab Nye
Alphabet
Alphabet
Naomi Shihab Nye
Blood
Blood
Naomi Shihab Nye
Burning the Old Year
Burning the Old Year
Naomi Shihab Nye
Different Ways to Pray
Different Ways to Pray
Naomi Shihab Nye
Famous
Famous
Naomi Shihab Nye
Gate A-4
Gate A-4
Naomi Shihab Nye
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Naomi Shihab Nye
Kindness
Kindness
Naomi Shihab Nye
Making a Fist
Making a Fist
Naomi Shihab Nye
Morning Song
Morning Song
Naomi Shihab Nye
My Uncle’s Favorite Coffee Shop
My Uncle’s Favorite Coffee Shop
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Art of Disappearing
The Art of Disappearing
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Rider
The Rider
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Turtle of Oman
The Turtle of Oman
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Words Under the Words
The Words Under the Words
Naomi Shihab Nye
Valentine for Ernest Mann
Valentine for Ernest Mann
Naomi Shihab Nye