The Road Syntax Poem Summary

This poem expresses his experience in being treated differently racism wise. It is About what it was like to be different a different color that wasn't white. He used a variety of connotation, syntax, and imagery to strengthen his piece of writing. His writing brings a sense of what what it was like for him just to go get some groceries by using lots of syntax, imagery, and connotation. One element where he focused in, is syntax. Syntax is used to convey a complete thought and to really break down something he wants his reader to know. In stanza two, there is many short sentences with period at the end of each short sentence. Usually when there is a period at the end there could be many tones to it like, mad. In this case the periods show a tone of simple and it is no big deal to “cross” the train tracks. It specifically says “We dared each other./ Laughed a little./ Thought about it./ Said, what's the big deal./ Thought about that.” (Rodriguez 6-10). This is trying to get the mood of how short and easy it would be by writing small, short sentence with period at the end. In lines 54-58 where it quotes, “Plenty reason to get my brother/ by the throat, taking turns/ punching him in the face,/ cutting his lower lip, punching, him vomiting.” All the

Rodriguez used was imagery. Imagery uses figurative language to create an image in the reader's head of the event or scene. In the line 61 it quotes “like a rotten banana from its peeling”. This is creating an image in the reader's mind of how bruised and beat up his brother was. Trying to compare a rotten banana with his brother helps to understand that it wasn't just terrible, it was horrific,dreadful, and sickening. In lines 50-51 it describes “ hot asphalt; melted gum,/of broken/ beer bottle on my lips/ and cheek”. This is conveying a dirty setting on how damaged they left the two boys. Imagery is very helpful to enhance a piece of writing to help the reader imagine and connect with the