Sigüenza 1

Manuel Sigüenza

Mr. Damaso

English II, Period 7

12 March 2010

2nd Source Check: Literary Criticism

Revised Literary Thread: Alberto Ríos portrays images of borders to convey a new culture

among other ones in his work.

Poem #1: Day of the Refugios

Deters, Joseph. "Fireworks on the Borderlands: A Blending of Cultures in the Poetry of Alberto

Ríos." Confluencia 15.2 (Spring 2000): 28-35. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J.

Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

<http://go.galegroup.com>.

• Joseph Deters criticized this poem

• Meaning

o Anything can have two sides or more to it (par. 2)

• Theme

o Family— family is more influential than anything else (par. 10)

o Borders— borders can either cause a separation or a culmination, especially when

it comes to culture (par. 2)

• Literary Thread
 Sigüenza 2

o The stage in between infancy and adulthood is in between, thus having

characteristics of both extremes (par. 6)

o This party for the 4th of July and Día de los Refugios can neither be entirely

American nor Mexican (par. 11)

• Figurative Language

o Metaphors— he uses them to emphasize borders (par. 6)

 “Childhood itself a country, too” (par. 6)

o Similes— one includes “They are little countries” (par. 4)

• Poetic Devices

o Uses Spanish words as part of his diction

o Gives direct reference to food and his grandmother

• Poetic Form

o Tercet Stanzas

• Rhyme

o None

• Meter

o Free Verse
 Sigüenza 3

Poem #2: Nani

Vela, Richard. "The Idea of Boundaries in the Work of Alberto Ríos." Pembroke Magazine 34

(2002): 115-122. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit:

Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

• He practices Magical Realism in his poetry

• Richard Vela writes for the Pembroke Magazine at UNC

• Meaning

o Language (or anything else) doesn’t have to create a barrier between people (par.

10)

• Theme

o Although language serves as a barrier, people can make a third “language” even

though the barrier is still present (par. 1, 10)

• Literary Thread

o A third language (unknown) is brought in between Spanish and English (par. 10)

• Figurative Language

o Has a few archetypal symbols (smiles, string, etc.)

• Poetic Devices

o Uses Spanish to make his diction closer to home

 Sigüenza 4

o Has sentiment towards his grandmother and the soup

• Poetic Form

o Syllabic Verse

• Rhyme

o None

• Meter

o Free Verse

Poem #3: Island of the Three Marias

"Island of the Three Marias." Poetry for Students. Ed. Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 11. Detroit:

Gale Group, 2001. 78-89. Poetry for Students. Web. 11 Apr. 2010.

<http://go.galegroup.com>.

• Meaning

o There can be many perspectives about one specific thing, regardless of the

connotation it may have (par.36)

• Theme

o Men seek women sexually in a way that is derogatory (par. 13)

o Prisons have the potential to “[A]tone [prisoners] for their mistakes and remake

themselves” (par. 14)

 Sigüenza 5

o Prisoners experience isolation and are brought out into their true human nature

(par. 16, 17)

• Literary Thread

o The barrier between prison and freedom creates a little middle ground for those

who work at the prison and the “pale nuns” (par. 26)

• Figurative Language

o “[M]etaphor and symbol [are employed] in its three quatrains to comment on the

description in the three longer stanzas.” (par. 18)

 Scars are supposed to be symbolic for Christ’s wounds (par. 19)

 Easter lilies imply Jesus’ resurrection (par. 19)

 Paleness and white signify the innocence, rebirth, and hope (par. 19)

• Poetic Devices

o A mix of sentiment and sentimentality and few oxymorons

• Poetic Form

o Syllabic Verse with three quatrains

• Rhyme

o None

• Meter
 Sigüenza 6

o Free Verse

Poem #4: Mi Abuelo

Saldívar, José David. "' Denver Quarterly." Denver Quarterly 17.2 (Summer 1982): 141-144.

Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 57. Detroit: Gale, 2004.

Literature Resource Center. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. <http://go.galegroup.com>.

• Meaning

o Do not take loved one’s for granted until they die (par. 4)

• Theme

o Death can bring memories back to a person

o Life should not be wasted or put aside

o Regardless of one’s mistakes in life, it is best to praise them when they leave

• Literary Thread

o Life and death can create a void that can be filled by a new “world” (par. 4)

• Figurative Language

o Simile in lines 2-3

o Direct reference to his grandfather

o Metaphor between sieve and hair

• Poetic Devices
 Sigüenza 7

o Uses Spanish in his diction to bring fact that his grandfather spoke Spanish and

that he grew up around it

• Poetic Form

o Blank Verse

• Rhyme

o Alliteration with the letters in lines 10-14

• Meter

o Free Verse