Different Ways to Pray

Nye’s “Different Ways to Pray” is a free verse poem of six stanzas of varying lines, each stanza ranging from six to ten lines long. Featuring a mixture of long lines that extend out into the page and short, clipped lines that are only four words long, Nye’s poem blends varying line lengths. Illustrating numerous ways to pray, each stanza explores a new form of prayer and new subjects.

Told through the third person omniscient perspective, the poem moves through different forms of prayer, from formal, traditional prayer to rustic rituals. The poem opens with a traditional form of prayer noted as “the method of kneeling” (Line 1). However, Nye’s speaker immediately qualifies this method, stating that it only works “if you [live] in a country / where stones [are] smooth” (Lines 2-3), indicating that kneeling prayer is for those who live in rich countries with established places of worship. Describing this wealth as the wealth the women pray for (“The women dreamed wistfully of bleached courtyards” [Line 4]), and how fervently and passionately they prayed for these things (“Their prayers were weathered rib bones” [Line 6]), Stanza 1 represents a type of prayer defined by its determination and desire. This is so much so that those who pray in this way wish themselves to be one with God (represented by their utterances “[fusing] them to the sky” [Line 9]).

Prayer, however, does not need to take place in a house or worship. It can also be performed in nature, as Stanza 2 suggests, highlighting the form of prayer used by the shepherds who tend the goats. This prayer is ardent and passionate (“Hear us! We have pain on earth!” [Line 13]), but it is disregarded. The natural world surrounding the shepherds—represented by olives—continues without paying heed to the shepherds' voices: “[T]he olives bobbed peacefully / in fragrant buckets of vinegar and thyme” (Lines 15-16). The shepherds, however, seem not to mind; they have food, shelter, clothing, and are happy, despite any pain they feel.

Alternating between describing formal forms of prayer with informal forms, “Different Ways to Pray” seeks to celebrate all forms of prayer, regardless of who prays, where they pray, or for what they pray. Stanza 3 returns to organized religion, describing those who journey to Mecca—Islam’s holiest city and the place of the annual pilgrimage. This pilgrimage or hajj illustrates dedication: It is a long, difficult journey. Nye’s speaker compares this concept of “pilgrimage” (Line 20) in Stanza 3 with a different form of daily “pilgrimage” (Line 29) in Stanza 4, the latter of which is defined by women taking care of the house, carrying water, feeding the children, and helping other women give birth. Prayer takes on a very different appearance in Stanza 4 as it becomes a daily, ritualistic practice of tending to life.

Prayer tends to be rooted in religion, yet there are some who have lost their religious path or turned their backs on it. In Stanza 5, Nye recognizes that not everyone prays—particularly those who have emigrated from the Middle East to America. These people tend to be young and live in a world very different from their ancestors. Drawing a stark comparison between the Middle East and America, between those who stayed in the Middle East and those who emigrated to America for prosperity and opportunity, the poem highlights this lack of prayer, resulting in the older generation praying for the younger one (Line 39).

Concluding with “Fowzi the fool” (Line 45), who does not pray in any of the ways described above, the poem acknowledges that some directly speak to God: Fowzi “spoke with God as he spoke with goats” (Line 47). Exploring these different forms of prayer, Nye’s speaker opens the discussion about how prayer can take many forms. Even when someone does not pray—like the young American immigrants—there is still prayer; the older generation prays for them.

“Different Ways to Pray” touches on themes of unity and ritual. While specific diction is used to indicate Islam (“Mecca” [Line 23] and “Allah” [Line 40]), the poem is largely universal. Many pray on their knees. Many directly address God. Many exhibit prayer and ritual through how they tend to their loved ones and perform their daily routines. Although it can take many forms, prayer is universal. Nye’s speaker seeks to help the reader recognize that no matter how prayer is performed, it is still prayer; it is meaningful communication with each other, oneself, and God.