Pacific Studies Journal
Abstract
These paired poems—one traditional and one contemporary—celebrate love, desire, and cultural identity through the evocative imagery of clothing and voyage. The first, a traditional Samoan poem, uses the lavalava (sarong), siapo (tapa cloth), and the metaphor of anchoring a canoe to express admiration, intimacy, and the quiet finality of choosing a beloved. The second, more modern, mirrors this sentiment with lyrical imagery: a sarong as a flowing connection between nature, memory, and union. Together, they link personal affection with cultural heritage, honoring both bodily adornment and emotional anchorage.
Recommended Citation
Sinavaiana, Caroline
(2007)
"Sarong/‘Ie Lavalava,"
Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 30:
No.
1, Article 34.
Available at:
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol30/iss1/34
Included in
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