Jackson Kincaid

Mrs. Fuller

5th Period

4/11/16

The Poems of Identity

Poetry describes in ways that people cannot. Identity is deep within one and takes years of

pondering and searching to find it. The poems in this anthology all convey identity as a universal

idea. Poetry by Pablo Neruda, Identity by Julio Noboa Polanco, In Response to Executive

Order 9066 by Dwight Okita, and Phenomenal Women by Maya Angelou. These all relate to

the discovery of ones identity.

In Poetry by Pablo Neruda, the speaker describes the feeling when poetry finally

found him, and the wonderful views of life that came along with it. Neruda utilizes imagery to

illustrate the excitement and whimsy going on in the speakers life. Before poetry arrives, the

speaker says I did not know what to say, my mouth/had no way/with names/my eyes were

blind/and something started in my soul (lines 16-19). This shows an unfavorable idea of

imagery as bland and vague but quickly changes into a much more vibrant scene. The speaker

says felt myself a pure part/of the abyss/I wheeled with the stars, /my heart broke loose on the

wind (lines 44-47). This provides a clearer sense of how identity has come to the speaker

through poetry and is described in a mercurial way. Clearly, Pablo Neruda is using imagery to

show that poetry is a part of ones identity.

 The poem Identity by Julio Noboa Polanco also discusses the idea of identity through

an extended metaphor. The poem tells the story of how one can come out and truly express

themselves in a way that is different from others. In the text, one of the examples of the

metaphors used throughout is Id rather be tall, ugly weed, /clinging on cliffs, like an

eagle/wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks. This helps readers see the true passion for

wanting to escape from the social normality, this can be seen represented by the eagle which

stands for hope and freedom. Additionally, the speaker states If I could stand alone strong and

free, / Id rather be a tall, ugly weed. This helps explain to the reader that throughout the poem,

metaphors are constantly being used to show individuality and a distinction that sets the speaker

apart from everyone else. Ultimately, ones identity is often different from the rest of the crowd.

Identity has been the major universal idea in previous poems and is also seen in In

Response to Executive Order 9066 Dwight Okita shares a story on how race can impact the way

people are treated. Okita uses connotation in order to show how America has blended all cultures

together and how it has created a new identity for the girl. The speaker says I have always felt

funny using chopsticks/and my favorite food is hotdogs. This is showing a negative connotation

towards her culture when discussing chopsticks, and how she has always felt funny in doing

so. A more positive connotation is used when addressing her favorite food, which is hot dogs.

When hot dogs are mentioned, America immediately comes to mind and by saying she likes

them, it provides a new look on how foreigners identities are melted together. Another example

from the text is Youre trying to start a wargiving secrets to the Enemy. When the girls

friend Denise truly learns about the war, she is convinced that ALL Japanese are bad. She even

forgets about her years of friendship with Ozawa (by last name). The word Enemy is a key word
in negative connotation because it puts emphasis on all Japanese-Americans for being associated

with the war. This is all a result of who Ozawa is on the outside and Denise didnt look hard

enough to see her new identity. Clearly, Dwight Okita is using Connotation to show that

something as important as Identity can easily be betrayed by racism.

Lastly, Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou tells the story of how empowering it is

to be a woman and the positive identity that comes with it. Angelou uses repetition to show the

emphasis on Im a Woman The last four lines of each verse is. Im a woman/ phenomenally/

Phenomenal woman/ thats me. The repetitiveness is this phrase and the structure of the poem

makes it flow better. But it also bring more emphasis to this phrase and its importance. The

importance of this phrase is the fact that it comes after all of the descriptions of why the persona

is a phenomenal woman. It highlights that she is phenomenal because of her natural qualities.

This provides us with a view of how having a positive attitude and confidence can lead to

individuality. Additionally, in Angelous poem, her beauty comes from not whats on the outside

but whats in the inside Pretty women wonder where my secret lies/ Im not cute or built to suit

a fashion models size. This is what makes her desirable to men although they dont know it.

Also, her poise and grace is a product of her beauty that comes from her thinking (mind) and her

personality (soul). Ultimately, Maya Angelou is using repetition to show that confidence can lead

to a positive identity.
 All of the poems listed in this anthology about identity can help readers see the necessity

of identity and that its ok to be yourself. This is accurate for the speaker in Poetry and the

confident and positive woman in Phenomenal Woman. Overall, believing in ones passions,

ideas, and self, will lead to a better understanding of identity.