Richard Blanco is a well known poet who has produced numerous poems throughout his career. Blanco has wrote powerful poems including “Boston Strong,” “Burning in the Rain,” “The Island Within,” “Since Unfinished,” and many more. He was born in Spain, but he moved to the United States at a young age. Growing up, Blanco took his parents’ advice in studying engineering, but he eventually developed a desire to explore the significance of belonging. He then began to travel around the world searching for an answer. He journeyed to Europe and South America, but returned to the U.S with his partner Dr. Mark Neveu. Blanco then comprised a book full of poems about his experiences traveling around the world, and the book eventually received an …show more content…
This stanza really is really deep and impactful to me since I aspire for unity and peace. Blanco essentially asks for unity in this passage, and he suggests that we all have this one “light” that we move through. The same “light” that we all experience throughout our day. He then mentions the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech written by Martin Luther King Jr.. Blanco then says we all share a similar dream about MLK’s speech and how the speech strengthens people together. Learning about MLK’s speech when I was younger was so fascinating, and it was also incredibly moving and encouraging to me. It was amazing to see so many people together fighting together for equal rights, and I think it inspired me to treat everyone fairly. Personally, I think it’s just plain stupid to mistreat others just because of their race, but unfortunately, racism is still a huge problem in today’s society. I wish I could actually do something about it, but I know I’m too powerless to do anything. It would just be pleasant to see everyone undivided and united regardless of race. Blanco also mentions the unfortunate tragedy that occurred at Newtown, Connecticut. I think I was in middle school when it occurred, and I remember how shocked and afraid I was. I also remember how everyone was in deep sorrow,
“Not a family room, but the room where my father twirled his hair while listening to eight-tracks of Elvis…where my mother learned to dance alone as she swept…” The quirks of the room are what remind him of the happy times he and his family had together; the times he seems to wish he wants back. In his poem, “El Florida Room”, Richard Blanco appreciates all the moments he had and all the memories that were created with his family in this room, especially with his parents and brother.
He mentions the fight in the House of Representatives that broke out, in relation with the civil rights bill. He also about the equality between black and white people in the 1960’s. At this point this is being read the words “all is calm, all is bright” this completely contrast from the subject about racism but the song is representing a sense of tranquillity as if everything is okay when it is not.
What do you think this poem is saying, in your own words? This poem is about the different kinds of people that live in America and how they are the reason America is America. It is also saying that no one is the same and that everyone sings their own song.
Poems are built with tradition, but in his case, the speaker wants to end tradition just as he wants to end racism. In line two and three, they both end with the same word which is called symploce. Symploce is a combination of anaphora and epistrophe which implies that these two lines are an important point of the figure of speech. The poem was written by stating a cause and effect. The line beginng with by is the cause and I being the effect. Its an explination of how he will fight social injustice. It also helps readers to use and understand the most effective way to fight social
The poem “No Country for Black Boys” by Joy Priest represents the sorrowful incident which happened on February 26, 2012 for Trayvon Martin in Florida. Trayvon Martin was an innocent African-American young boy who bought iced tea and some skittles. On the way back to his father’s home, he got shot by the neighborhood watch and treated as a victim because of his skin color. Guilt was not defined by what Martin did but by what he said, also it determined something deep-rooted in the young age. No weapon was needed to identify him as a victim. He is a young black boy, so he is already guilty enough to be killed. Black people have the same rights as the other people, however in reality, America’s society discriminates against them compared to other nationalities.
I chose to perform this poem because I can personally relate to it, the character in the poem and to the author herself. I would consider myself as a feminist just like Andre Lorde; also I would consider myself Anti-racism and anti-homophobic. Growing up I was surrounding by people who believed that women should stay home, and cook and clean, their job was to just take care of the kids, not only that but my religion was Islamic, my cousins belief and parents that women shouldn’t have a career, they
Richard Blanco’s diverse background makes him relatable for people of multinational upbringings. His writing thoroughly appealed to me because he did such a good job capturing the emotions of a child coming into a new world. Having experienced that, I wanted to see if I could have that effect on people. I used some of the techniques that Blanco uses, in my poem “New Identity”, to familiarize the reader with what he has been through. Richard Blanco accustoms the reader to his experiences by using figurative language, diverse diction, and allusions.
The poem is filled not with resentment but with optimism, the cheerfulness of that “great, silly grin" (21) that he believes will take him to a future where they will be as American as anyone else. But he also understands that people like him, mainly Mexicans who come to the United States to strive for something better in life.
Throughout the poem, the author chooses simple diction. This makes the tone straightforward and blunt, like a black America who simply expresses himself instead of sermonizing about discrimination. Thereby, readers can accept the poem’s argument more easily. Furthermore, the author writes the poem mostly in long sentences to emphasize on short yet important sentences such as “That’s America.”, “Be we are. That’s true!”
Similarly, the poem by Jose B. Gonzalez, Autobrownography of a New England Latino, illustrates the difficulties that Gonzalez lived due to being a brown Latino. He experiences segregation and racism, but fights to become an educated man despite his color and social class. Gonzalez, like
Richard Blanco is a Cuban- American poet who was given the oppurunity to write an inaugaration poem for Barack Obama's second swearing-in. He wrote a poem titled "One Today" that praised the good and unique things about the United States and also the everyday people who's daily routines help to make America the proud country that it is.
By using her own skills, the speaker shows that her people do have talents. In the last stanza, the speaker says “I am the dream and the hope of the slave.” After slavery was abolished, Black Americans had hope for the future. However, they soon realized: systemic oppression would keep them down. Nonetheless, the speaker still has hopes and dreams which are continued and pursued through herself. The poem does not only express the rising of the speaker alone, but also of the people she represents. Using the word “I” can also inspire those who are going through difficult situations. For example, someone who is being bullied is forced to repeat self-affirmations, which can make them feel more confident. The wording before the shift proves the same subject while deliberately avoiding direct repetition. No matter what, her strength will never subside, and readers should feel the same.
In this he reaches out to all backgrounds and religions to try and unite them in the common cause. Claiming that they have all suffered in this together. And that to be aware that it is election year and that the white man will smile at you most when he needs you and look down upon you when he doesn’t. This speech resonated because I could not help but think of this year. 2016 is an election year. Yes we have come a long way but not as far as we had hoped. We are still facing the race debate. And many of the battles and obstacles that Malcom X faced then, are still being faced
This poem is written from the perspective of an African-American from a foreign country, who has come to America for the promise of equality,
For a long time the participants had suffered from being treated almost inhuman like but there was a moment when the blacks where ready to stand up and fight for their rights. Maya Angelou used lots of metaphors to describe the people’s feelings and make the reader fell them too: “I say the night has been long” (The Million Man March, line 1 but repeated through out the poem). “The nigh has been long” is used metaphorically to say that enough suffering has been endured. This quote is related to suffering because when darkness is present monsters and such lurk about (scared). “I say” is metaphorically used to show strength and leadership. So “I say the night has been long” stands for stop being cowardly, you don't need to suffer just come together with all your strength. Although Maya Angelou is showing that the participants have strength she also shows where it’s coming from: “The wound has been deep, the pit has been dark and the walls have been steep” (The Million Man March, lines 2-4 but repeated through out the poem). These phrases remind the people of what they had to endure in life and they get strength from this to go against the government and make a change. “The wound has been deep” represents the pain the dark skinned people had to endure in their lives which they know their children might have to too. “The pit has been dark and the