Jimmy Santiago Baca

Jimmy Santiago Baca is an American poet writer of Apache and Chicano descent. He was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on January 2, 1952. Abandoned by his parents at the age of two, he lived with his grandmother for several years before he was placed in an orphanage. Baca ran away from the orphanage where he found himself caught up with substance abuse. At the age of twenty-one he was convicted for drug possession where he was sent to prison for a total of six years, four of them in isolation. During the time Baca was in prison, he taught himself to read and write. He then realized that he had a talent for poetry. His poetry consists of “rich imagery and lyrical language” (Jimmy). “Baca unlike a growing number of “prison writers” who injects their

The first couple lines of the poem begin with “I am offering this poem to you, / since I have nothing else to give,” (1-2) gives the reader an idea about the speaker’s socioeconomic status which implies that he is not wealthy and all he can offer is his love. The line in the poem, “Keep it like a warm coat when winter comes to cover you, / or like a pair of thick socks the cold cannot bite through” (3-6) portrays a simile by comparing a coat to a pair of thick socks which conveys the idea that if there is love, keep it “warm” otherwise it can become cold and

His poem “I Am Offering this Poem” elaborates why poetry is so important. He offers his poem to his beloved like a gift to cherish. Not only does Baca’s poem talk about the reoccurring theme of love but it also talks about the connection between writing and love by using poetic devices such as imagery, simile, metaphor, personification and repetition. Baca’s also reminds his readers that there are by far more important things in life than superficial items or goods. Baca portrays his message by making the point that many people mistake money for happiness and really all a person ever needs is