John G Neihardt

The Song of Hugh Glass John G Neihardt

This poem tells the story of a great American Hero, Hugh Glass . This poem was the inspiration for the book, which was turnned into the film, The Revenant . The story that made Leonardo Dicaprio win an Oscar. The story begins in 1823, just after the Leavenworth campaign against the Arikara Indians, and follows an expedition of Major Andrew Henry during a series of arduous journeys over the Trans-Missouri region. The poem describes the friendship that springs up between two trappers, an older man named Hugh Glass, and a younger named Jamie, who fight, scout and hunt together in the wilds. The story is set when Jamie and a companion betray Hugh: Hugh is abandoned, alive, and badly wounded, to die by the Missouri; to allow Jamie and his companion to safely flee the enmity of hostile Indians in the vicinity. Jamie and his fellow cover their cowardice with a specious lie: that they left only after Hugh died of natural causes, whereupon they first buried him before riding north to rejoin the trapping-party. But against all odds, Hugh survives. Regaining consciousness and finding himself alone, Hugh shrewdly deduces the identity of those who betrayed him. Then, fired by a relentless hate to punish those who left him to die . Hugh claws his painful way back to the land of the living: but only to set out to track down his betrayers and deal out some requisite summary justice.