Language
What does the speaker repeatedly ask the listener to do in the poem?
The speaker asks the listener to "tell them"—to share the story of the Marshall Islands and its people with others, particularly friends in the United States.
Where is Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner from?
She is from the Marshall Islands, a nation in the Pacific Ocean. She was born there and raised in Hawaii.
What is the effect of repeating the phrase "Tell them" throughout the poem?
It creates urgency and insistence, making the poem feel like a direct command or testimony. It emphasizes the need to spread awareness and frames the poem as a message that must be passed on.
What is the central environmental threat described in the poem?
The central threat is sea-level rise and the resulting flooding of the islands due to climate change.
According to the poem, what are the Marshallese people known as descendants of?
They are described as descendants of "the finest navigators in the world," referencing the Marshallese tradition of ocean navigation using canoes and star knowledge.
What does the phrase "level with the land" describe?
It describes the rising ocean, where the sea has risen so high it is equal in height to the land, symbolizing the threat of sea-level rise and flooding.
She is from the Marshall Islands, a nation in the Pacific Ocean. She was born there and raised in Hawaii.
She is also a climate activist and educator. She co-founded the environmental nonprofit Jo-Jikum, which empowers Marshallese youth to address climate change.
What poetic device is used in the line "black pearls glinting like an eye in a storm of tight spirals"?
This is a simile, comparing the gleam of the pearl to an eye. It creates a vivid visual image and adds a sense of watchfulness or resilience.
What is the speaker's attitude toward leaving her home?
The speaker is adamant that they do not want to leave, stating "we don't want to leave / we've never wanted to leave." She rejects relocation as a solution.
What handcrafted items does the speaker prepare as a "package" for her friends?
She prepares woven earrings made into half-moons with black pearls, and baskets woven from materials like pandanus leaves, decorated with brown cowry shells and intricate mandala patterns.
What does the speaker mean when she says "we are nothing without our islands"?
She means that Marshallese identity, culture, and existence are inseparable from the physical homeland. Without the islands, the people lose their sense of self and community.
How does Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner's personal background influence the perspective in "Tell Them"?
As a Marshallese woman, her perspective is personal and rooted in direct experience of the culture and environment she describes. The poem is not an outsider's observation but a plea from someone who will be directly affected by the loss of her homeland.
Why is the image of water "flooding across our cemeteries" a powerful poetic choice?
It makes climate change concrete and devastating rather than abstract. It shows that rising seas are not just a future threat but a present violation of sacred spaces, literally washing away the community's history and memory.
How does the poem connect climate change to a history of colonialism and nuclear testing?
The poem focuses on the present threat of water, but this threat is understood as a continuation of external forces—like U.S. nuclear testing—that have long disrupted and endangered Marshallese life and land. Climate change is framed as an intensified form of colonialism.
What do "bwiros at kemems" represent in Marshallese culture?
These refer to traditional Marshallese food and gatherings. "Kemem" is a first birthday celebration, and "bwiro" is a fermented breadfruit dish. They represent the importance of community, celebration, and shared cultural practices.
The poem shifts from describing traditional items to modern objects like "styrofoam cups of koolaid red." What is the effect of this language shift?
This shift grounds the poem in contemporary reality, showing that Marshallese people are not a romanticized ancient culture but a modern community facing contemporary challenges like pollution and climate change. It also subtly points to foreign, polluting elements alongside native ones.
Why is it significant that Jetnil-Kijiner is a performance poet?
Her poems are meant to be heard aloud. The oral delivery of "Tell Them," with its repetition and direct address, amplifies its emotional impact and makes it feel like a testimony or urgent call to action rather than just text on a page.
How does the poem's structure as a set of instructions to a friend contribute to its meaning?
The instructional format creates an intimate, personal tone. It makes the political and environmental crisis feel personal and actionable, as the listener is given specific tasks: show a map, tell the story, rather than just hearing abstract facts.
What does the poem suggest is at stake for the Marshallese people beyond the physical loss of land?
Beyond land, the poem suggests the loss of an entire identity and culture. The final lines "we are nothing without our islands" imply that the Marshallese people's very sense of self and community is tied to their physical place.
Why is the image of the canoe significant in a poem about a seafaring people facing rising seas?
The canoe is a powerful symbol of Marshallese identity, history, and mastery over the ocean. It contrasts with the current crisis where the ocean—once a source of life and connection—is now a threat to their homes.
How does the phrase "toasted dark brown as the carved ribs of a tree stump" function as a description of the Marshallese people?
It uses a natural metaphor to convey pride, resilience, and deep connection to the land, suggesting a people who are strong and rooted in their environment.
How does Jetnil-Kijiner's work fit into the larger conversation about climate justice?
Her work personalizes the climate crisis, showing that its impacts are not abstract or future events but present realities for specific people and cultures. She uses her platform to give voice to those on the frontlines, arguing that their survival is a matter of justice.
The poem lists both natural items like "pandanus leaves" and unnatural items like "styrofoam." What is this technique called and what does it achieve?
This is juxtaposition. It achieves a realistic and complex portrait of the islands, showing the interweaving of tradition and modernity. It also subtly highlights the presence of foreign, polluting elements alongside native ones.
How does the poem balance hope and grief in its message about the future?
The poem acknowledges the grief of rising waters and the threat of displacement, but it also offers hope through the act of telling—the belief that sharing the story can create understanding and possibly change. The gift of the basket represents a future connection between generations and cultures.
How does the poem's mention of "cemeteries" connect climate change to Marshallese cultural practices?
Flooding across cemeteries shows that climate change violates sacred spaces and ancestral connections. It demonstrates that the crisis is not just about physical land loss but about washing away history, memory, and the ability to honor ancestors.