Dana Gioia's California Hills In August

Think of something beautiful like the stillness of the morning before the first glimpse of sunlight makes its presence known, or the gentle smile of a stranger passing by on the street. Some individuals would argue that there is absolute beauty in these things. Still, for some individuals it is difficult to identify the elegance of what may seem to be everyday trivial life. In his poem, “California Hills in August,” Dana Gioia creates a speaker that imagines how a foreigner would find the dry, sparse landscape of his home "unbearable" (2). Through his poem, Gioia argues that appreciation for a subject comes from a profound understanding of details that compose said subject.
Gioia, through his choice of words, constructs a contrasting view …show more content…
One example is in the description of the sky. The "Easterner" "hate[s] the bright stillness of the noon/ without wind, without motion,"(16-17). The image of the sky along with a description of "a hawk, hungry for prey, suspended" shows that the "Easterner" is almost fearful for his life in what seems to be a deserted landscape (19). Whereas, the native finds the "empty sky"(25) amiable and homely. Gioia creates this image when the speaker refers to the entirety of the landscape as “gentle” (21). For both characters the same sky is present, but the native has had the experience to sprout an appreciation for a clear sky in California. In a similar fashion, Gioia creates an interesting image of the grass that grows on the hills. To the "Easterner" the landscape “has already [been] drained of green” creating this picture of a barren brown landscape (10). However, the native paints the landscape in a different light, one of tranquility and peace. To the native, the landscape decorated by a few trees and grass is evidence of life and a clue to understanding that the speaker has found a true appreciation for what California has to offer. Although Gioia creates a paradox, he also creates a strong image of life sustaining itself without a vital component such as water. In constructing these contrasting images, Gioia, once again show that the "Easterner" lacks the understanding of the …show more content…
In regard to the hill, Gioia creates two distinct attitudes each attached to a specific character. First, the "Easterner" is very despondent and shows a slight angry tone towards the hill; thus, illuminating the idea that he does not appreciate California, but is merely highlighting the negative attributes of the land. Gioia does so by implementing the use of words such as “unbearable” (2), “heat” (3), and “hate” (16) to create an overall negative tone. On the opposite spectrum, the native's attitude towards the hill is one of sincere emotion. Through describing the plant life and "the skyline of a hill broken by no more/ trees than one can count, the grass" Gioia places an emphasis on his intention of creating a character who represents appreciation for what may seem invisible. Despite the contrasting views, the speaker's tone towards the imagined character is calm and respectful. The speaker never shows anger towards the imagined character although he is talking negatively about California because the speaker knows that to appreciate the beauty of California one must experience the small peculiarities it has to offer. This is to show that there is no anger towards the "Easterner" who cannot see the beauty of the land. Gioia is perhaps trying to translate the concept that those who can see beauty in certain subjects should not project anger onto people who lack the perspective to view the world