Synthesized answer
The provided passages do not contain any direct statement about a common thread or overarching interest uniting Witter Bynner's engagement with "Indian Earth" (focused on Mexican indigenous cultures) and "The Jade Mountain" (a Chinese anthology). The passages only show that Bynner authored both works, listing "The Jade Mountain" as another book by him [1] and presenting poems from "Indian Earth" that depict Mexican landscapes, people, and Aztec references [2][3][4][5].
From the content of "Indian Earth," we can infer that Bynner was deeply interested in the daily life, traditions, and spiritual perspectives of non-Western peoples—such as the Aztec calendar [3], indigenous market scenes [2], and local customs like the band concert [4]. However, the passages offer no explicit comparison or explanation linking this interest to his work on Chinese poetry. The question's premise about a "common thread" is not addressed in the given text, so any answer would require speculation beyond the passages.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
← Indian Earth ( 1929 ) by Witter Bynner → related portals : Poetry , American literature 5100519 Indian Earth 1929 Witter Bynner INDIAN EARTH Wiitter Bynner Indian Earth Other Books by Witter Bynner The Beloved Stranger A Canticle of Pan A Book of Plays The New World Young Harvard Caravan Cake Grenstone Poems The Jade Mountain A Chinese Anthology of the T'ang Dynasty 618-906 From the texts of Kiang Kang-Hu INDIAN EARTH Witter Bynner New York ALFRED·A·KNOP F 1·9·2· 9 Copyright 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, and 1929 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE…
← Lovers Indian Earth by Witter Bynner A Beautiful Mexican La Francesa → New York: Alfred A Knopf, page 24 5100554 Indian Earth — A Beautiful Mexican A BEAUTIFUL MEXICAN T here where she sips her wine, her copper brow Is itself the sunset. Her eyes are lifted now, Her eyes are evening-stars. I have seen many Chapala sunsets—but never before have I seen one Come down from the mountain to be a beautiful woman, To shadow a table with a dusk of light From a bare arm and then, alas, to rise And turn and go, leaving a sudden darkness. ← Market-Day Indian Earth by Witter Bynner A Bird that Sings…
← Tunapec Indian Earth by Witter Bynner Calendar Dark Waters → New York: Alfred A Knopf, page 54 5100580 Indian Earth — Calendar CALENDAR W hy should I know or care what month it is? An Aztec calendar was made long since. What year was it? What century? What matter? A piece of stone became symmetrical. If I watch the time, some of my friends will die, If I watch the time, I shall surely die myself. Let me, then, gather all my friends about me And carve an endless moment out of stone. ← To a Friend Who Was Here Concerning Changes in Chapala Indian Earth by Witter Bynner Conflict Fiesta →…
← Montezuma Indian Earth by Witter Bynner Another Sunset To My Mother Concerning a Chapala Sunset → New York: Alfred A Knopf, page 10 5100537 Indian Earth — Another Sunset ANOTHER SUNSET R ed caves of light rise from the western range, From the southern mountain a smoky cone of fire, And under all the cloudy caves and cones The lake is throbbing from its earthen heart. I am alone here among these dark-eyed people. Yet who is alone while lips and eyes can smile? Where is a hiding-place from happiness? Shadowy caves dissolve and leave a star. ← A Weaver from Jocotepec Indian Earth by Witter…
← There Had Been Songs Indian Earth by Witter Bynner A Foreigner The Hill by the Lake → New York: Alfred A Knopf, page 41 5100569 Indian Earth — A Foreigner A FOREIGNER C hapala still remembers the foreigner Who came with a pale red beard and pale blue eyes And a pale white skin that covered a dark soul; They remember the night when he thought he saw a hand Reach through a broken window and fumble at a lock; They remember a tree on the beach where he used to sit And ask the burros questions about peace; They remember him walking, walking away from something. ← A Boatman Indian Earth by…
More questions about this book
- The text lists "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck as a "related portal" to "Indian Earth." Explain how a work set in rural China might be thematically or historically connected to a collection of poems about indigenous American life, and what this connection reveals about the literary landscape of the early 20th century.
- "Indian Earth" is dedicated to D. H. Lawrence. Drawing on your knowledge of Lawrence's own work and perspectives, how might this dedication offer insight into the themes, style, or cultural critique present in Bynner's collection?
- The individual poems in "Indian Earth" were published in a variety of journals, from "The Nation" and "Poetry" to "The Ladies' Home Journal." What does this broad publication history suggest about the intended audience or the perceived accessibility of Bynner's poetry at the time, and how might that influence its interpretation?
- Based on the titles in the table of contents (e.g., "A Dance for Rain," "The Winged Serpent," "Volcano," "Fiesta"), synthesize the primary concerns or spiritual landscape Bynner aims to capture in "Indian Earth." How do these titles alone foreshadow the cultural and natural elements explored in the poems?