Analysis Of Creation By Celia A Sorhaindo

Amanda Mirshak

Doctor Friedman

British Literature 2240

08 February 2023

Creation - Poetry Archive

Creation of Words “Think before you speak.” “Use your words.” “Are you at a loss for words?” All of these phrases are common to hear when discussing the use of our words. Our words are the most important gift that we have. In Creation by Celia A Sorhaindo, Sorhaindo compares our words to a newborn child and uses infancy to describe the act of using our words. Creation thus imagines the act of speech as something vulnerable, something to be ashamed of, but also something freeing. Sorhaindo uses imagery in her word choice to help move these feelings along by using words like naked, shameful, and relieved. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the definition of vulnerable is: open to attack or injury of a non-physical nature. Sorhaindo challenges her readers to feel vulnerable because that is a feeling that most people do not feel comfortable enough to show most of the time. She states “Wayward, untidy they/crawled naked into/the world” (Lines 10-12.) By saying this she is showing that our words are raw and valuable. Crawling naked and untidy into the world is her way of saying that our words and creativity can be messy. It takes work and thought to express our true feelings. When we say what is on our mind we often do not

At the end of her poem, Sorhaindo states “Today I wake/Relieved” (Lines 31-32.) Throughout her poem she describes the birthing process of our words, how they are formed, how they are delivered, and how we can change them. The use of the word relieved is an important part in the poem because it represents starting over. Each day is a new day which brings new opportunities to speak our minds in the proper way. By moving on and starting over each day it is like subconsciously birthing new words which is how Sorhaindo starts her