Natural Imagery and Hybrid Identity in Ethnic-American Poetry: A Case Study of the Poetry of Linda Hogan and Lisa Suhair Majaj

Nature is not only a resource.Connection with nature constitutes a part of who we are, especially in the case of individuals with hybrid identities.By analysing the kinesthetic images of plants, animals and natural elements in a selection of poems by the Native American Linda Hogan and the Arab-American Lisa Suhair Majaj, the study proposes to trace the connection between the hybrid identities the two poets have as members of ethnic minorities in the American society and the kinesthetic natural imagery they employ in their poetry.The significance of this study lies in considering the affective aspect of the relationship between the human and the nonhuman worlds in their poetry and the role it plays in spreading a more positive sense of tolerance and acceptance between cultures.Portraying the living creatures and the non-living objects in nature as constantly moving and interacting with each other implies that both poets perceive identity formation as an ongoing process of interaction with one's surroundings.And this process acquires more importance in the case of individuals with mixed cultural origins.