Letter to Pedro through Formalist lens

The poem is in the form of a letter by a childhood friend. It uses a language that is
exclusive only to that of friends, what with the reference to the lizard; the speakers calling
Petes cousin a whore and his referring to Pete as a bastard, even though those two words
are derogatory, shows that the speaker is very comfortable speaking his mind to Pete, and
that there is no need for subtlety and lying.
The setting of the work is in a rural area and probably in a time where ethics and
morals are prized, which would give it more weight if women became whores, because we
know people in the rural areas to be a bit more conservative than those from the urban
areas. This also makes the setting symbolic because when we speak of change, it would
hardly be seen and appreciated if the setting would have been in an urban area because
steel bridges are a common sight. Using the rural area as a setting makes the changes more
evident and would give more meaning and emphasis on the idea that the writer wants to
drive.
As the speaker is very candid with the way he related the information to his friend,
the author likewise used very simple words to describe what happened in the work. Even
so, the reader is still able to visualize and understand the story.
The work began with the speakers telling Pete that there isnt much change in their
hometown. Contrarily, as his narration progressed, one can observe that what this friend is
talking about are, not only minor changes, but ones that are evident and depressing, which
shows that the poem is really ironic, and the speakers indifference towards the concerns
posed in the poem gives it even more irony. Moreover, one can observe that the speaker is
more interested with reminding Pete of their misadventures than with the want to address
the problems of society which reveals that there is also something wrong with this friends
judgment.
Lastly, the poem ended in another jest by the speaker about Petes lizard and this
might make readers smile or laugh, but behind the humor are actually very serious
problems that the society faces. From this arrangement of ideas, the poem wants us to
realize that following the comedic approach that the writer used in putting together his
ideas are more significant things that one must become aware of.

Asle Joyce P. Flores 2012