Poetry Analysis

The Aztec lifestyle was conveyed in poetry through images connected with nature. Aztecs looked at life short and brief. To them nature had different, symbolic, and significant meaning. In “Like Flowers Continually Perishing” flowers represent us “dying slowly like flowers despite our beauty”. Flowers are very beautiful and

Perez’s use figurative language throughout the poem transmits the concept of avarice in mankind with the ambition for amelioration. A representation of similes in the poem would be “Darkness spills across the sky like an oil plume.” In the literal sense, he is stating that it is nighttime which creates the setting of the poem. However, when referring to oil plumes, Perez is discussing the environmental damages such as destroying habitats and the source of diseases

Like my abuela used to say “Del arbol caido todos quieren hacer leña.” Meaning the opportunistic people try to take advantage from the misery of others. In the poem “El Sonavabitche” the woman goes to tell the grower to fill up the sewage ditch when she realizes la migra was called by the sonavabitche to not pay the workers. The woman confronts him and forces him to pay. It was satisfying how the women confronted and challenged el sonavabitche.

This poem would not give readers the same powerful emotions without the intense imagery and literary tropes Mayes utilizes. Toward the end of the poem, the speaker

On the other hand, the imagery in the next half of the poem that Soto uses about adults is much more serious and sad than the imagery he has used for the children. A first example is “The cotton gin stands tall in the money dream”. This visual imagery is in reference to to picking cotton, or agriculture in general. Agricultural jobs are common among poor Mexican workers and are probably one of the only ways that many believe they can really earn money. In this second half of the poem, the author’s use of imagery is mainly featured around jobs and money. A second example of imagery when the speaker is talking to

“Scorned by attitudes, suppressed by mortis putation, destroyed by modern society.’’ “muck explanation and in the fierce heat of racial hatred.” The quotes from the poem “ Yo Soy Joaquin” by Rodolfo Gonzalez represented discrimination. The meaning of his quotes are what he has been thru america. Destroyed by modern society symbolize the deaths of people’s culture, religions and how not all america is great as they say. Immigrants come to america for better life and hopes,dreams ,better education. As an child with immigrant parents i understand what Rodolfo might have been going thru the years he has been in america. Is America really a good america or just America. America is a world where it has discrimination,equality, patriotic

The poem begins explaining to the reader the story of a Mexican American as he worked in an industrial factory at some point in his life. “In the factory I worked, in the fleck of rubber, under a press of an oven yellow with flame.” (Lines 1-3) Soto uses visual imagery to describe the color of

In the Poem “So the Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans” Jimmy Baca uses sarcasm to get his point across, he also makes several points that give us some kind of idea as to what kind of views he held as a Hispanic American. First, he uses sarcasm to poke fun at the lie that Mexicans are coming into the states to steal jobs from Americans. Secondly, he gives us a great example as to how the media tells society what to believe and not believe. Lastly, he uses his own point of view to tell us what he has truly seen on the streets. In the poem Baca displays several values that he has, a few of them being first, that white people believe that Mexicans are taking jobs from Americans, secondly, the media tells us what’s true

In his poem, Soto uses oranges and the weather to denote the boy's feelings for his crush and create an atmosphere for the story. The boy claims “ he is weighed down by the two oranges in his pocket” (4-5). Oranges do not tend to be very big or heavy enough to weigh someone down. Therefore, the oranges being so heavy would be Soto’s way of claiming that the boy is tremendously nervous. He is being weighed down by his lack of assuredness that she might feel the same way. Soto also contrasts the meaning of the oranges and bright colors, that bring love, to the harsh chilling

The speaker is established as male - neurotic, then confident, and cheerful. Free verse is exhibited through this poem as well as x-lined stanzas. Enjambments also extend the speaker’s phrases creating a conversational tone and simple diction. The speaker expressions of sentimental and nostalgic attitude supports the theme as he reconciles his love and hope at that moment in his life. Early on, oranges are introduced into the poem as the speaker is “Cold, and weighted down / With two oranges in [his] jacket,” and used as a symbol of warmth in the cold of December(3-4). Specifically, Soto uses auditory imagery as “Frost cracking / Beneath [his] steps,” to further juxtapose the

The poem titled “Oranges” by Gary Soto is a story about a boy who is poverty stricken but sees positivity in his life as well. The tone changes at times from positive to gloomy and wary. “Black Swan Green” is written by David Mitchell through the eyes of thirteen year old Jason Taylor living in a small village in England. The novel’s thirteen chapters depict thirteen months of his life filled with much struggle and many experiences. Although the two texts contrast in regards to values due to time periods and relations due to money, they are similar as the characters experiences influence their relationships.

The poem talks from the children 's perspective. It impersonates a child who watches over the mother, "they say a measure of a good tortilla maker is if you can read a newspaper through it" (46). The speaker places herself as an outsider, by using the

Soto’s use of the word orange as the title of his poem evokes a positive image in the readers mind. When the readers think of orange, they think of the bright color of the fruit and its wonderful taste of sometimes sweet and sometimes sour. It gives readers a warm feeling which is what Soto seems to feel about his experience. In the first five lines of the poem, Soto talks about the time when he was twelve, he was walking with a girl in the cold weather with two oranges in his jacket. Although it was a cold weather that day, the oranges in his pocket highlight the happy and bright mood he was feeling as he was able to walk with a girl for the first time despite how cold and somber it may have been. He also uses the orange in line thirty-five to help pay for the chocolate that his girl wanted. Originally, the chocolate cost a dime, but he only had a nickel. His childish yet clever action of paying for the chocolate evoked a feeling of innocent and sweetness towards the owner in that she saw how charming he was to let the girl have what he want despite not having the money for it. So the orange created an opportunity for Soto to show a lovely side of him as a young

Poetry can be divided up into different forms, more easily expressing an author’s emotions and intent with their poetry. For analyzing purposes I chose the poems Self-Help by Michael Ryan, Ghazal by Agha Shahid Ali, Psalm 150 by Jericho Brown, and Emergency by Michael Dylan Welch.

Jorge Borges used a dark tone to explain the state of Argentina through his poem, “In Praise of Darkness.” “This growing dark is slow and brings no pain; it flows along an easy slope and is a kin to eternity” (Borges 340). The situation of Argentina is a growing poison and will always keep flowing, to the extent of no end in sight to the peoples’ misery. Octavio Paz also used dramatic language to help readers understand Mexico’s situation, “I walk in blackness and I stumble and fall and rise and I walk blind, my feet stepping on silent stories and dry leaves” (342). His imagery shows how the despotic government in Mexico is surrounded in darkness and for freedom loving people like him, life under such a regime keeps him down, stumbling and unable to move forward. Life that doesn’t progress forward is akin to being stuck in a graveyard. Just as authors use allusions to help readers understand the situations of their countries, they also use