This shows how McFarland believes Soto’s use of blue collar poems and a reference to his father in “A Red Palm,” help remind the reader of the sacrifices parents make for their kids. While numerous poems of Soto spring from depictions of working-class characters, a countless number of his poems are also extracted from observations of daily life. This is
The Power of Hope Gary Soto brings the impoverished, crime filled streets of the Mexican-American communities where he grew up to life by “evoking the harsh forces that often shape the life for Chicanos” (“‘Gary Soto’: Poetry Foundation” p. 1). He combines an archetypal young love poem with the concept of poverty to create the powerful poem: “Oranges” (1985). Soto also works with the notion of old age and the importance of life in his somber poem: “The Seventieth Year” (1986).
Lin-Manuel Miranda captivates audiences worldwide with a unique modern-day twist illustrating the life of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant who is in pursuit of success on the mainland. He eventually obtained this success and became one of the pillars of America but not without suffering along the way. In the piece “Alexander Hamilton”, Miranda depicts Hamilton as a Hispanic minority who overcame an abundance of struggles and hardships in order to obtain a better and more fruitful life. Although some readers might think that the song “Alexander Hamilton” is simply about Hamilton’s life and the adversity he has overcame, it is in fact symbolic of modern day immigrant’s desire to pursue the main land’s american dream along with the obstacles and oppression they must overcome to do so.
Anthem Anthem, written by Jim Daniels, is a free-verse poem, and this essay examines thirteen lines of the overall poem, which comprise two stanzas. Within the first stanza, a daughter or son uses a reflective voice to consider how his or her father’s work from when the speaker was a child affected their relationship. The second stanza describes the present, still strained relationship, that the father and now grown-up speaker admit they want to improve. Though not particularly evident in these thirteen lines, the second stanza takes place as the speaker and father stand before the start of a football game, singing the national anthem.
The poem “Richard Cory” written by Edwin Robinson carries an identifiable theme within the work. The theme of this poem is that since a person may have riches and are living in luxury does not guarantee that they are content with the life they
And finally, “ Looks like Malcolm X helped” is a thank you to his contribution, and it provides the reader at the time a thought of the near future. With all the breaks in between the stanzas the poem is very powerful once read
Perseverance is something that we all struggle to maintain throughout our journey in life where at times we want to give up. The use of poetry is a vessel in which we are able to explore the themes of life. Two poems that explore perseverance are: “The Red Palm”, by Gary Soto and “The Onset”, by Robert Fost. Soto’s poem is about a cotton field worker who works tirelessly to provide food and shelter for his family. Fost’s poem is about being in the woods during the snowy winter, where he realized that he hasn’t accomplished as much as he would have wanted in life, and the change of the season to spring where he watched the snow turn into a stream of water.
On lines 37-39, he says, “I am the man who never got ahead, the poorest worker bartered through the years; yet I am the one who dreamt our basic dream”. He feels as if he never got to live the dream while it was only ever a dream. For rich white men, the American Dream did not hold as much value because it was their
Vargas overall recounts his life story with sentiment and imagery that create a sense of empathy that would have not been otherwise created without the use of powerful words and
The tone of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too, Sing America” is determined and talks about how “tomorrow” he will do what he pleases instead of doing what his master
“My Father’s Song” describes the close, tender relationship between a father and his son, while “Those Winter Sundays” depicts a more distant, strained relationship between the father and his family. Ortiz’s lively descriptions of pleasant memories, illustrate how the father’s interactions with his son reveal his love and strengthen their relationship. A darker, emotionless tone fills Hayden’s poem as he emphasizes a father’s austere, yet sacrificial love toward his family. These poems both set different examples of how some families choose live out the bond between one
For different people, comparable situations do not always reproduce the same end results or leave the same impressions. Rather, the resulting conclusion is often highly variable. As is the case of two labors featured in the poems, My Father’s Lunch” and “The life of a Digger”. While Erica Funkhouser’s speaker, Henry, experiences injustice and lack of reward for his hard labor in “The Life of a Digger,” Margarita Engle’s speaker experiences prosperity and remuneration for their father’s hard work in “My Father’s Lunch.” Each author uses the setting of a laboring man’s lunch break to demonstrate the ramifications of a hard day’s work and the rewards or lack thereof for their efforts.
The author encourages us to enjoy every moment of our lives, no matter how seemingly insignificant it may be. Lastly, the use of repetition is to really engrave a saying or phrase that will come back to the reader's head throughout the poem. "You are still alive/ You are still alive"(40/42). Francisco urges the readers not to take their lives for granted and reminds us that there are people who are in much worse
It is through these lines that Martí shows his appreciation for Cuba’s beauty, while acknowledging its struggle and hinting at a hopeful future. It is later in the poem, in the last stanza, where Martí uses his typical blend of defiance, empathy for the oppressed, and
There is such a bigger meaning to these poems on overcoming hardships in life that everyone has to go through. To not give up and to fight for what is
