ipl-logo

Summary Of The Poem XX By Jimmy Santiago Baca

966 Words4 Pages

Life is more of a story of our struggles and recollections for our past. In the midst of Jimmy Santiago Baca’s poem “XX,” the poem bares great significance to the imperfections of life and how our contributions to our past affect the outcome of the future. Life is a game were there is a winner and loser and to win the game one must display certain attributes in order to survive. Santiago’s poem reiterates the attributes that are being depicted through the viejos which are death, honor, and freedom. Although the depiction of death is controversial towards many religions, the elderly individuals in the poem see death in a newer light. For example, when the viejos were waiting for their moment of death, La Muerte arrives “ in black cape,red feathered …show more content…

For example, in preparation for their passing the elderly people “pulled their rosaries out / and put away their pictures / of women in bathing suits” (10-12). As individuals, we dwell on all earthly possessions that create the illusion of comfort, reality, and our own existence. The viejos are removing themselves from all temptations and comforts that became the part of their lives on earth but as they draw near to death, none of that matters. The viejos wanted to die with honor by removing all their earthly treasures and past emblems to be granted a place in the next life. This is testament to the fact that death symbolizes the rebirth of individuals from being a person of the past to being a person of the future. In addition, the elderly people “strip off the paper / from their Arm suits in closets (17-18). The army suits represent their achievements and by wearing it to their burials, it only shows that a person should live with dignity and die with dignity because we are all worth it. The viejos fought with honor and instead of dying in battle, they put their uniforms on to give respect to themselves. The bottom line is that everyone would live with a sense of worth and carry on a reputation that will last beyond death. A person should not be remembered by who they are, but what they did for others. Honor is not received but earned,

Show More
Related

  • Diction And Symbolism In Old Couple By Charles Simic

    665 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem “Old Couple” by Charles Simic uses diction and symbolism to show the idea that it is necessary to accept the approaching of death and old age in order to fully enjoy the remaining days of life. In order to do this it is necessary to have a sense of honesty with yourself that death is unavoidable. . The poem starts off with narrator describing the observations being made of the old couple. The narrator makes the statement that “They’re waiting to be murdered, or evicted. Soon they expect to have nothing to eat.

    Read More

  • An Hour With Abuelo By Judith Ortiz Cofer

    216 Words  | 1 Pages

    The short story "An Hour with Abuelo" by Judith Ortiz Cofer, discusses the theme thats the way life is. "My mother tells me that Don Arturo had once been a teacher back in Puerto Rico, but had lost his job after the war. Then he became a farmer. She's always saying in a sad voice Ay, bendito! What a waste of a fine mind then casually shrugs her shoulders and says Así es la vida.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Breaking Through By Francisco Jimenez

    825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Summary The book, “Breaking Through”, tells the story of Francisco Jimenez, also the narrator of the story, and his life as an illegal immigrant in the United States. When Francisco’s family came to the United States in 1947, 14 years later Francisco’s family would be deported back to Mexico (their home country). Once the family got their documents, Francisco and his brother Roberto would be sent back to the United States in order to earn money to be able to send their parents and other family members back into the United States.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Green Chilli By Jimmy Santiago

    211 Words  | 1 Pages

    To begin with, in the poem “green chilli” by Jimmy Santiago Baca the author shows us how he has been thriving and surviving trought out his life. At first, he didn’t know how to read or write but now he is even writing his own poems. During his childhood he had a hard time trying to survive without the skills of reading and writing. Also in his poem he is talking about culture and about the family.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Poetry Makes Nothing Happen By Julia Alvarez

    251 Words  | 2 Pages

    Julia Alvarez, in her poem “’Poetry Makes Nothing Happen’?”, writes that poems do play a role in people’s lives. She supports her idea by using relateable examples of how poems might change someone’s life. Her first example is simple, poetry can entertain someone on long drives. This does not only aply to long dirves however, Alvarez uses this to show that poetry does not have to have a big influence on someone’s life, instead it can affect a person in the smallest of ways, such as entertainment. The second example describes poetry comforting someone after the loss of a loved one.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Honor In Henry IV

    1245 Words  | 5 Pages

    Honor in today’s society holds close to the same meaning as it did when Shakespeare wrote the play in the sixteenth century, and it is a closer definition to Hotspur’s than Falstaff’s by

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of We Were The Mulvaneys

    721 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the following passage from the novel We Were the Mulvaneys, Joyce Carol Oates laments that even though most everything in one’s surrounding is dying, not everyone has managed to find the adequate amount of maturity to accept the fact that they are not immortal, even though the idea of death is difficult to come to terms with. Oates conveys this universal idea and characterizes the narrator through the usage of a depressing tone and dismal imagery. The tone set in the passage is fairly dark and depressing. An “eleven or maybe twelve,” year old child should not be fixated on the idea that “every heart beat is past and gone.”

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Oranges By Gary Soto

    750 Words  | 3 Pages

    Materialistic objects can become powerful symbolic meanings to an individual. The sentimental symbolism behind the objects does not take into account the amount it was worth at moment of purchase, but rather, the background, meaningful story behind it. Gary Soto, an American poet, in his poem “Oranges” depicts the impact of the symbolism behind two oranges upon a twelve year old boy and his young, premature love with a girl. In order to showcase the oranges’ power of hope upon the purity of a young love that goes through adversary, Soto invokes the use of diction, symbolism, and juxtaposition which formulate his literary piece into a literary merit value. To begin with, Soto portrays the purity of the young love through diction that establishes

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In The Masque Of The Red Death

    731 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death can never be escaped no matter what. In “The Masque of the Red Death” Edgar Allan Poe shows the theme of death, a suspenseful mood, and an ominous tone. Through Poe’s use of literary devices, the reader can discover tone, theme, and mood. Throughout Poe’s life he experienced death with two of his mother’s and his young wife. Death is shown how inevitable it is with Poe’s writing and experiences combined together.

    Read More

  • Death's Societal Impact: Richard Cory By Edwin Arlington Robinson

    2520 Words  | 11 Pages

    When a person of lower class did people believe there is no need for special occasion, however when a rich person dies there is a larger importance put on their death. In essence, the division in importance of death between social classes has led to the overall disattachment to the importance of death as a

    Read More

  • How Does Poe Use Symbolism In The Masque Of The Red Death

    706 Words  | 3 Pages

    People have always tried to avoid death, but they cannot. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” the characters are trying to avoid the Red Death, but they fail. Every hour an ebony clock chimes indicating that life is passing and death is close. People begin to die every minute once the Red Death enters.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'Memories Of My Melancholy Whores'

    972 Words  | 4 Pages

    her team of doctors don’t think Hazel is strong enough to travel. The situation seems hopeless until one of the physicians most familiar with her case, Dr. Maria, convinces Hazel’s parents that Hazel must travel because she needs to live her life. The plans are made for Augustus, Hazel, and Hazel 's mother to go to Amsterdam, but when Hazel and Augustus meet Van Houten they find that, instead of a prolific genius, he is a mean-spirited drunk who claims he cannot answer any of Hazel’s questions. The two leave Van Houten’s in utter disappointment, and accompanied by Lidewij, who feels horrified by Van Houten 's behavior, they tour Anne Frank’s house.

    Read More

  • Julio Noboa Planco Identity Poem Analysis

    463 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the end, the poem “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco talks about how it’s good to be unique, to be yourself. Julio Noboa Polanco uses the literary devices of alliteration, simile, and repetition. I think the message of the poem reflects certain things that happen in life. Like people can be someone but not

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Rossetti's Poetry: The Imagery Of Death

    820 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, there are several terms that the readers must peruse and link with other lines to comprehend the imagery of death. Rossetti uses the word “cold” throughout her poem, and this is critical because it can refer to the coldness of the skin or the isolation that the speaker is experiencing. She begins her poem with telling the physical state of death, and the repeated phrases “changed and cold, how changed and very cold!” whisper a sense of sorrow to the readers’ ears because the speaker sounds as if s/he is mourning. Rossetti continues to provide more contradictory words such as “stiffened” with “smiling lips” and “calm” with “cold eyes.”

    Read More

  • Religion In Emily Dickinson's Poetry

    772 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Spiritual Passion of Emily Dickinson Witnessed in Her Life and Poetry D. Ans Angel Dr.M.Natarajan PhD Research Scholar Assistant Professor Department of English and Foreign Languages Department of English and Foreign Languages Alagappa University Alagappa University Karaikudi Karaikudi Emily Dickinson, who always viewed as a rebel against religion orthodoxy by critics, too wrote on spiritual life. The outside world condemns her to be unconventional; her inner experience with the word of God shows her true love for Almighty. She is a practicing spiritualist. Most of her poems talks of the union of human soul with God and the eternal life.

    Read More

More about Summary Of The Poem XX By Jimmy Santiago Baca

Open Document