Arroyo 1

Joseph Arroyo
Professor Adler
STACC English 1A #32474
26 February 2016
The Making of a Poet: Literary Analysis on Prison Literature
Someone who gets incarcerated is one misfortune; however, someone who gets
incarcerated as an illiterate Chicano male is another. In Jimmy Santiago Bacas Singing at the
Gates, Baca uses various literary devices to tell his own story and experience in prison. In here,
Baca writes formal poetry to provide evidence of hope. In the poems, I Turn My Little Fan On
and Steel Doors of Prison, Baca uses repetition, allusion, and pleasant imagery to not only tell
us but also indeed show us his life. Throughout this collection of poems, these literary devices
are used to enhance symbolism and creativity like poetry generally does. In Baca's sense, he
writes about prison and the horror of being illiterate.
For one, Baca uses repetition in the poem I Turn My Little Fan On to emphasize the
significance of an idea or picture. Throughout this poem, Baca repeats the phrase, Air blows
across my face (38). Of course, Baca is referring to the little fan blowing air in his face;
however, this has a deeper meaning. When Baca writes this phrase, he means that he is
nonchalant about things in his life. He does not value things he should until they are gone. In this
case, he writes about his Guardian Angel and how it tortures him instead of the opposite. No
matter how many times this angel has betrayed him, he still cares for it. Baca continues to write,
I hear you scratching on the closed door / of my heart. I open it. / You have become my family
(39). Now, if you think about it he sounds really close to this angel therefore, this can be a person
or another human being. In addition, this can be his own spirit; this can be Baca connecting to his

Arroyo 2
own spirit in the time of need. Since he is so lonely in a prison cell he has to understand himself.
Baca also uses the words pain and bristled to describe his angel. This angel or his spirit has
been through a lot. So now he is here to receive his soul and live the rest of his life with caution.
Secondly, in the same poem Baca writes an allusion as he writes, biblical blood on my
door of steel (38). In the quotation Baca is referring to the biblical time where the people of
Jerusalem would be protected by the demons if they put goats blood on their doors. This was to
avoid evil spirits into their home in a time of horror. In the beginning of the poem, Baca writes
about a hot summer morning, where he watches the sun rise. While in his cell, he reflects on all
the horrid things there are in prison. For example, Baca says, A plague ferments in the air, /
violence, insanity, treachery (38). These things exist in prison and it is hard. By using a biblical
reference offers great value to an audience because it is most popular or a classical moment in
history. It reminds people the significance to believe in something.
In addition, Baca does not only use visual imagery in one poem but almost in most of
them. Baca uses visual imagery in the Steel Doors of Prison, as he writes:
As you walk with an easy step on the cold
sidewalk.
Then another door locks behind you.
This door is your cell door. A set of bars,
Paint scraped, still as cobras in gray skins,
Wrapping around your heart little by little (56).
This first half of the second stanza provides visual imagery of a prison cell, specifically his own.
Here, Baca writes what he would see every time he woke up in his prison cell. Metal bars, large
doors, eating him alive. Baca continues, Your mind, your heart, your spirit, / You hear

Arroyo 3
nothing but the steel jaws close, / Slowly swallowing you (56). This quotation paints a visual
image of how it felt to be in a prison cell according to Baca. This is what he saw and felt every
day until he was finally released. Here, Baca shows you what it is like to live in a small space for
a long time. Not only in a cell but in a place where criminals are contained. Therefore, imagery is
a very important device to use in literature because it lets the reader live in the moment.
Throughout Bacas works of literature, he uses vivid imagery the most, because that is how he
catches the readers attention.
According to Writing to Change the World, by Mary Pipher acknowledges how ones
literature can change the way people see things. As Pipher writes, Your history, your unique
sensibilities, your sense of place, and your language bestow upon you a singular authority (45).
Pipher continues, You have your own set of life themes, habits, and ways of organizing yourself
into a coherent I (45). In these quotations, Pipher promotes individuality and the incentive to
write and tell your own unique story. In addition, she introduces the concept of writing to
connect. Pipher defines this as, Expository writing for ordinary people calls for a variety of
talentsstorytelling skills, clarity, and the ability to connect (23). Meanwhile, Pipher
introduces us to this new concept, Baca does the same thing in this own way. Throughout Bacas
selected poems, he uses his own originality in his poetry to tell his long and hard life of being in
prison and teaching himself how to read and write. Finally, both of these authors write literary
works to connect to the reader and change the world.
In conclusion, Baca uses multiple literary devices to convey his thoughts on his life thus
far. From visual imagery in Steel Doors of Prison to repetition in I Turn My Little Fan On.
Without these devices, his literature would not be as strong nor original. Throughout his selected

Arroyo 4
poems, Baca uses themes such as prison reform, all the way to love. Singing at the Gates
provides great literature and a life story of becoming into someone better by language.