Kelly is a writer and teacher of creative writing. In the following essay, he explores how the minimalist techniques that Momaday uses in "To a Child Running With Outstretched Arms in Canyon de Chelly" help make its overall point.

In "To A Child Running With Outstretched Arms in Canyon de Chelly," N. Scott Momaday attempts, as writers always should, to give readers a full experience using a minimum number of words. The poem identifies a real place, that people could go to, walk through, and imagine a child running through as they study the walls. The last line refers to "the spirit of this place." Readers sometimes feel that they might be missing out on some important aspect when they find out that the poem has a real-life point of reference. Knowing the canyon and its history helps a little, and readers who know the history of...