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Water In Rita Wong's Declaration Of Intent

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In Rita Wong’s free verse poem “Declaration of Intent,” the persona calls individuals to collectively come to action against the thoughtless overconsumption of resources which ultimately has led to the complete disregard of the power that water has over our society. Due to the evolution of society and its unnatural laws, there is the anthropocentric conception to take the substances around us for granted. Wong, as a protest against this, beckons readers to reassess their relationship with the land, particularly with water, and recognize the indispensable qualities that water posesses. The poem’s form constructs a closer connection between the reader and water and increases awareness of the importance of water within our society. The content …show more content…

Despite our constant undervaluation for the benefits we reap from water, it continues to prosper. It has been on Earth before us, with us, and will continue to overrun our planet long after. The poem, just like water, has no clear beginning or end. When noting our society's machines and desire to expand carelessly, the persona mentions that “the machine’s gears rust in rain, moss & lichen slowly creep life back” (Wong 14) to highlight the persistence of water. Water, regardless of our standard to take it for granted, will continue to slip back to where it belongs slowly. This cycle of “destruction” and “reclamation" (Wong 15) prove the unstoppable nature of water. Wong’s neglect for proper punctuation, with the exception of the occasional comma for clarity, supports the notion that water is an ongoing lifeform that will inevitably take back what is natural. Throughout the poem, there is a constant reminder that water is the underlying foundation of our modern society and that, without it, there is no life. The persona insists that water is a “gyre of karma” (Wong 14) which, carrying along with it our misdeeds, will redeliver the effects that we have brought unto it. Thus, without proper acknowledgement of water's properties that have constructed our society, we will become caught within the cyclic flows of water just as this poem continues relentlessly despite our constructed notions of

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