This poem’s title tells us several things. First of all, the title clues us in to the fact that this is a poem that is meant to be sung out loud, because the word “Song” is in the title. The “Twelfth Song” refers to the fact that it’s also part of a series of songs. In fact, the Mountain Chant ceremony—of which this song forms a part—is made up of a number of songs on different subjects, including songs on the “Mountain Sheep,” a song on “Last Daylight,” and songs of the “Holy Young Men.” This “Twelfth Song” is a piece of a larger puzzle.
The reference to “Thunder” in the title is also important. Thunder means rain, and so this word suggests the importance of rain in the lives of the Navajo. The Navajo depended on rain to grow their crops and feed themselves. (This may come as a shock, Shmoopers, but the rest of us depend on that rain too.) The word “Thunder” clues us in to how important a part of the Navajo’s lives rain is, and it reminds us of the importance of nature in our lives as well.