Mary Jane Sterling Expresses The Pain Of Desolation Through Thoughts On Silence

Poet, Mary Jane Sterling, expresses the pain of desolation through Thoughts on Silence, with an intention to raise consciousness on residential schools. Throughout the poem, longing and loneliness is evident while Sterling expresses her hardships in trying to adapt to a different culture and a new language. The poem starts with her feeling lost and confused in what seems, to her, like a different world. Looking outside, the narrator feels her “heart [leap] with the bird.” The bird symbolizes the tranquility and freedom which she longs for. These three examples undoubtedly illustrate her experiences of despair, and why she chose to write this poem. In truth, Sterling uses her personal experiences in a cleverly written poem to raise consciousness