Analysis Of Jimmy Santiago Baca Poetry As Lifesaver

Baca writes, “ Through language I was free. I could respond, escape, indulge; embrace or reject earth or the cosmos.” (Baca, 1992, pg55) Baca found a voice that allowed him to express himself and that is how he was setting himself free. Later in the paragraph Baca refers to his childhood saying, “The child in the dark room of my heart, that had never been able to find or reach the light switch, flickered it on now; and I found in the room a stranger, myself, who had waited so many year to speak again.” (Baca, 1992, pg55) In my opinion I believe this is the most powerful quote to describe Baca’s engagement of being released from his ordinary world in prison. Since as a child Baca did not know how to read or write, he didn’t know his inner voice. Baca found his inner voice through language and childhood Baca that could not reach the light switch because he didn’t know how to read and write could now reach it. This quote can really make someone picture Baca as an innocent boy that was unable to do things back then because he didn’t know how to read and write, being able to do them now but now he’s stuck in prison. It feels Baca went through a cycle or

Jimmy Santiago Baca, writer of “I am offering this poem”, was born in New Mexico in the year 1952.When Baca was only a child, he was abandoned by his parents. He lived with his grandmother for a few years after that and was later placed in an orphanage. However, he ended up living in the streets and was arrested for drug possession when he was twenty-one years old. He then spent six and a half years in prison. This is where he taught himself to read and write. He composed many poems during his time in jail. His style of writing is also heavily influenced by his life experiences. Baca’s poem “ I am offering this poem” has four stanzas and seven lines in each stanza. Each stanza ends in the same verse “I love you”. The entire poem exudes the feeling of yearning and infatuation. Baca is said to have composed this poem during his time in prison, which meant he was unable to reach his loved one. Therefore he was “offering” this poem to his loved one. This

Careless inmates leave as careless felons. In the memoir, A Place to Stand, the author Jimmy Santiago Baca understands the challenges of prison. Baca didn’t have much of a good life growing up; in and out of foster homes, getting into trouble and winding up in jail, but something good came out of all of that. Baca went through many positive transformations which are conveyed in his poems, “I am Offering This Poem”, “Who Understands Me but Me”, and “Immigrants in Our Own Land”, which were accomplished by his ability to teach himself how to read and write.

The reason I think Baca wrote this story was to let the reader know the injustice that this country can put you through in certain cases. In this Hispanic males case he was treated poorly due to the fact that he didn’t know how to read and write in English. He was being accused of a crime with no evidence. With him having no saying because of his lack in English he was thrown in jail unfairly.

Throughout this whole semester, students have focused on many issues like family, education, money, power and equality/race. Although many students were already familiar with these topics, many of them weren't familiar enough to be able to discuss them in death. After learning more about these topics students can fully understand the issues seen in America and are also able to discuss them and take a stand. The book, " A Place to Stand" written by Jimmy Santiago Baca is a book that contains all of the significant issues that our class has learned about throughout the semester while talking about his childhood and the hardships he dealt with starting at a young age. The key topics seen on Baca's work are family and tied on to that is loss he suffered not only pf his family but

Jimmy Santiago Baca has had a life that not many would expect from his articulate poems. After being abandoned and sent to an orphanage, he ended up on the streets which led him to a six year sentence in jail, three of them in isolation. He focuses on topics such as the belittled and powerless, themes of addiction, community, finding oneself and liberation.

As shown above, Baca was showing signs of eagerness of learning to write, he was very intimidated how the prisoners were able to express themselves with such liberty. He was praised with the words of the writers, in which he felt out of place. Even though, Baca emotions were shut, he was able to gain his freedom through words. He stated “through language I was free. I could respond, escape, indulge; embrace or reject earth or the cosmos” (Baca 154). In other words, He was capable of doing anything, even moving galaxies, planets and stars. The power of writing allowed Baca to express himself freely without limitation. He was able to go into another dimension, where only words could make sense. There was no needed of endless emotions to see the

In this expressive writing, Rodriquez displays self-definitions throughout the essay. In the beginning of the story he questions to why we read, and says that “lines” in the books cause “dizzying” to the “eyes”. As the story continues, he points out that if reading will make him become “educated” it will help him “overcome” his “fear of silence.” This proves how important he wants to be successful in academics. Rodriquez also informs the reader of his emotional responses of resentment and enjoyment for reading. Rodriquez exposes his emotions of “loneliness” and “fear” from silent reading. While reading became a habit, he emerge as a “confident speaker and writer of English.” This shows how reading became an enjoyment for Rodriquez. However, in this writing values was also expressed. As he brought a “volume” of books back to the “library” he felt “pleased” by the “weight” of the books he has

Poetry is a crucial part of understanding the world we live in today. Within poetry, their lies many answers to why society is the way it is. The two words are extremely different, but at the same time can be seen as interchangeable. In his complex and diverse writing, Paz aimed to help explain cultural differences and various political views. Octavio Paz’s childhood experiences, diplomatic career, and travel all played a part in creating his unique writing style and making him a true Mexican cultural hero.

Few weeks ago, I participated in an event which involved a movie screening about the life of author and poet Jimmy Santiago Bacca. The story started out by introducing him as a child from less than optimistic circumstances, which circumstances lead to a troubled adolescence and the lack of guidance from any figure of authority in his life awarded him with jail time. From this desperate situation, a nearly illiterate young man rises just like a phoenix from the ashes and after leaving jail, emerges as a poet and writer with several publications and a group of supporters to encourage him on his path where he found his true calling.

In Jose’s attempts to push Pablo away from poetry it inevitably lead to Neruda’s rebellious, out-spoken poetry style. Other major life events that shaped Neruda being a “Poet

What do you do when your world turns dark and you are unable to see the beauty of this world? For most of us we would just give up on our passion, but for poet, Jorge Luis Borges passion for writing shined brighter than before and he continued his poetic artistry. Many argue that he wrote is best work in the years of his blindness. He is admired by many, he has this huge humble attitude when speaking about literature and poetry. I will be discussing what made Borges such a great contemporary poet, and influence in modern literature and the themes he frequently used, symbols that are seen as one thing but indicate another meaning and style.

Now he lives with his wife and continues to write his poetry and be a role model to young poets everywhere. He explains how books are a door to another world that offers us with windows of opportunities. Books are powerful and it is our job as readers to expose ourselves to the opportunities that are present within books. Poetry will teach you to dance and move throughout the story. Poetry is a dance that we are invited to join that captivates our natural rhythm of our sole. He hopes to inspire students to write poetry that shows the magic of the world and create a breathtaking poem that inspires all of

There was a frequent reference to “a poet” whose work was widely respected in this novel. The Count de Satigny (who was Esteban Trueba’s ‘suitable’ choice of a husband for Blanca) referred to the work of the poet as “the best poetry ever written, and nothing could compare to it”. When Jaime and Nicholas became adults, the poet became more widely accepted as Clara had formerly predicted the first time she heard him recite in his ‘telluric voice’ in one of her literary soireés. It was evident that the poet lived and wrote about the right of the citizens to live their lives the way they wanted to, making their own decisions and expressing their own opinions without being controlled. For this reason, the funeral of such a poet became “the symbolic burial of freedom”.

Throughout the piece, deeper meanings in words engage and captivate Baca’s readers. His writing is very poignant and emotionally appealing. To further convince readers of his personal transformation through writing, Baca creates metaphors in his words. Such engaging metaphors are noticeable in Baca’s depiction of his new birth as a poet: