"To Puerto Rico (I return)" by José Gautier Benítez

"Forgive the exile

This sweet frenzy:

I return to my beloved world,

In love with the land where I was born."

- from "To Puerto Rico (I Return)," by José Gautier Benítez

Analysis: Even though this poem is very short and to the point, there is much that I can relate to. "I return to my beloved world," is one of my favorite quotes. It reminds us that we must never forget our roots as well as who we are. I really enjoy that the word "world" was used rather than place, location, or something else. Using the word "world" gives the poem an even greater effect upon the reader, that being if the reader has another place beyond their current location that they can call home. For me, it reminds me of the differences between Mexico and the beautiful United States of America. The food, the culture, and even personalities are immensely different. Stereotypes may be placed on both countries, but it is not until one personally visits the place that we truly learn and are socked with its riches, such as culture and tradition. 
"In love with the land where I was born." Its description is self-evident. One may never forget where we came from and what we are because of it. I can relate to this in that when coming to the United States, people's perspectives, emphasis on students, was entirely different than that of many of my colleges in Mexico. One of the greatest examples is the differences in mindsets relating to success. In Mexico, success is being able to finish a career and have the ability to obtain a state household. In contrast, here in the United States, success is defined by two mayor things: the amount of money you have been able to make as well the career you took. I was born in the United States, but I have come to root myself with Mexican culture, something that will never die within me.  

How things work by Gary Soto

How Things Work

BY GARY SOTO

Today it’s going to cost us twenty dollars

To live. Five for a softball. Four for a book,

A handful of ones for coffee and two sweet rolls,

Bus fare, rosin for your mother’s violin.

We’re completing our task. The tip I left

For the waitress filters down

Like rain, wetting the new roots of a child

Perhaps, a belligerent cat that won’t let go

Of a balled sock until there’s chicken to eat.

As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:

You buy bread from a grocery, a bag of apples

From a fruit stand, and what coins

Are passed on helps others buy pencils, glue,

Tickets to a movie in which laughter

Is thrown into their faces.

If we buy a goldfish, someone tries on a hat.

If we buy crayons, someone walks home with a broom.

A tip, a small purchase here and there,

And things just keep going. I guess

Analysis: This poem may seem very simplistic, but if we use our knowledge of life, history, and a little imagination, the theme is huge. At fist glance we come to see the speaker of the poem talking to his daughter about the way society works. You spend money and that money that you spent will be spent by someone else. The Secretary of Treasury stated: "The money that you currently own, belongs to someone else who is waiting to pay another person." That is an overview of it. Now if we take into account this cycle that he talks about, in reference to money, we as the reader and thus interpreter must find the true meaning of this cycle. I personally believe that in every piece of written literature the author is placing a hidden message which he/she leaves it to the reader to find. My interpretation of the cycle goes as follows: The cycle of money may seem endless, but it has an ending. It may end up in the trash, literary, or it may be ripped and thus ending its cycle. Just as the money's cycle must end, so must a human cycle: life. For every person that dies, four are born.

 "A belligerent cat that won’t let go of a balled sock until there’s chicken to eat." I found a special interest in this quote. The cat represents a person, the sock that is "balled" represents society, and the chicken represents a higher standing member of society. The cat could be anyone we consider evil: a banker, a landowner, even the devil. He never lets go and continues to oppress its victims who are the common members of society, or the balled sock. The chicken, who becomes the distraction is a prestigious member of society to whom the cat can take advantage of. The main theme being: Social Darwinism. We consider ourselves to live in a civilized society, but why is that. Because we have a "structure?"Perhaps because we have an economic currency? What is the real definition of civilized, since the word and definition was created by a "civilized" member of society. The answers can be found within one's interpretation of society. And just as Soto commented, "...things just keep going. I guess."

Eldorado analisis

Eldorado

                   Gaily bedight,
                   A gallant knight,
               In sunshine and in shadow,
                   Had journeyed long,
                   Singing a song,
               In search of Eldorado.

                   But he grew old-
                   This knight so bold-
               And o'er his heart a shadow
                   Fell as he found
                   No spot of ground
               That looked like Eldorado.

                   And, as his strength
                   Failed him at length,
               He met a pilgrim shadow-
                   "Shadow," said he,
                   "Where can it be-
               This land of Eldorado?"

                   "Over the Mountains
                   Of the Moon,
               Down the Valley of the Shadow,
                   Ride, boldly ride,"
                   The shade replied-
               "If you seek for Eldorado!"

Analysis: The theme of the poem can be interpreted in many different ways. From my perspective, I was able to find a quest in this poem. The quest is in search for happiness, in this case- El Dorado. For those who do not know the legend, El Dorado is a "place" ruled by the natives who had an abundance of gold. The quality of living is said to have been the best, a stable society, and a well rounded economy. In some ways it can be compared to the legend of Atlantis. Then one day, El Dorado disappeared. When the Spanish first came to America it is said to have been for one reason other than finding a way to the other side of the world to make business with the Indians or  Chinese: it was to find the lost city of El Dorado. 

Here  in the poem, we are presented to a knight who is in search of the city. We are told that he wasted years finding the lost city, grew old and his strength "failed him at length." And then one day he found a character who is named: "Shadow." This "shadow" tells the knight that in order to find El Dorado, he must go "down the valley of the shadow." This shadow can come to represent grief and despare, just as light represents happiness and purity. When we tie everything together, I come to the conclusion that Edger Allen Poe is telling us that in order to find true happiness, we must first suffer and learn from our mistake in order to find out that "true happiness" does not exist. Just as El Dorado, True happiness will never be found. People imagine that we will all reach the point were we are happy and there is no problems in our life. Such as climbing the ladder to the top, in life there is no end. Poe tells us that we must be happy with what he have and never get disappointing when he fall.  

I Saw a Chapel

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

I saw a chapel all of gold

That none did dare to enter in 

And many weeping stood without 

Weeping mourning worshipping

I saw a serpent rise between

The white pillars of the door 

And he forcd & forcd & forcd 

Down the golden hinges tore 

And along the pavement sweet 

Set with pearls and rubies bright 

All his slimy length he drew

Till upon the altar white

Vomiting his poison out

On the bread & on the wine

So I turnd into a sty

And laid me down among the swine 

Analysis: Even though this poem is very short, there is much information contained in it. First, there is various biblical allusions such as the "serpent", the devil, and the "the bread and wine," the body and blood of Christ. I myself do not know much about the history of the author, William Blake, but from the context of the poem I can conclude that he was not religious but rather and enlightenment thinker. Reading the poem I got a sensation that he was criticizing the church, which represents religion. Not only is he criticizing the church but also the institution of it, which I will assume is the Catholic church due to the gold and luxury items found inside the Vatican and its "relation" to God.  "Pearls and rubies" are very expensive gems that not many people can afford. Here, he is pointing to the church and criticizing it for not following the teachings of Christ but rather shower themselves with luxury, such as the gold and gems. I believe that Blake was a man who believed in a God and kept strong to his teachings. For him, the institution of the church is a misinterpretation of Christ's teachings  and a wrong doing since Christ preached being humble as well as Christ himself criticizing the rich. 

    Adding the snake, or serpent, to the poem made this even more interesting. The snake has been a symbol of hate, evil, and the devil. By stating that the serpent  raised "between The white pillars of the door," Blake is implying the church may be evil itself. Another interpretation would be the serpent not being able to enter the holy place, but that interpretation would discredit my interpretation of the poem, which I believe makes more sense.  We can also see a sort of political structure that is created by Blake on behave of the church by stating that only the powerful may enter. This can be supported by the fist stanza stating that "That none did dare to enter." Why could that be? because the church was bad? because the church was not accepting of his sexuality? was it because it has become an institution that is only welcoming to the elite? who knows..... But one thing is for certain, in a letter by George Richmond to Samuel Palmer on accounts of Blake's death, Richmond stated that Blake "Expressed himself happy, hoping for salvation through Jesus Christ." Was Blake then a hypocrite? 

"You men" Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Analysis

YOU MEN

Silly, you men - so very adept

at wrongly faulting womankind,
not seeing you're alone to blame
for faults you plant in woman's mind.

After you've won by urgent plea
the right to tarnish her good name,
you still expect her to behave—
you, that coaxed her into shame.

You batter her resistance down
and then, all righteousness, proclaim
that feminine frivolity,
not your persistence, is to blame.

When it comes to bravely posturing,
your witlessness must take the prize:
you're the child that makes a bogeyman,
and then recoils in fear and cries.

Presumptuous beyond belief,
you'd have the woman you pursue
be Thais when you're courting her,
Lucretia once she falls to you.

For plain default of common sense,
could any action be so queer
as oneself to cloud the mirror,
then complain that it's not clear?

Whether you're favored or disdained,
nothing can leave you satisfied.
You whimper if you're turned away,
you sneer if you've been gratified.

With you, no woman can hope to score;
whichever way, she's bound to lose;
spurning you, she's ungrateful—
succumbing, you call her lewd.

Your folly is always the same:
you apply a single rule
to the one you accuse of looseness
and the one you brand as cruel.

What happy mean could there be
for the woman who catches your eye,
if, unresponsive, she offends,
yet whose complaisance you decry?

Still, whether it's torment or anger—
and both ways you've yourselves to blame—
God bless the woman who won't have you,
no matter how loud you complain.

It's your persistent entreaties
that change her from timid to bold.
Having made her thereby naughty,
you would have her good as gold.

So where does the greater guilt lie
for a passion that should not be:
with the man who pleads out of baseness
or the woman debased by his plea?

Or which is more to be blamed—
though both will have cause for chagrin:
the woman who sins for money
or the man who pays money to sin?

So why are you men all so stunned
at the thought you're all guilty alike?
Either like them for what you've made them
or make of them what you can like.

If you'd give up pursuing them,
you'd discover, without a doubt,
you've a stronger case to make
against those who seek you out.

I well know what powerful arms
you wield in pressing for evil:
your arrogance is allied
with the world, the flesh, and the devil!

-- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

translated by Alan S. Trueblood

Sor juana Ines de la cruz was brave for being one of the first women to criticize society. Coming from a nun, we are able to see a different perspective of women's social oppression. This sonnet was wrote by a women who did not have much interaction with society and still then is able to find the social injustices of mankind, especially those of men against women.
Her main argument is that men always criticize and oppress women, that being physically or mentally. She is not only referring to the act of men being "superior" to women, but also the way in which society was managed. During that time women that to be in their best behavior. Always formal and respectful to their husbands. The chain of oppression could not be
broken because the consequences could be worst.  Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz invites us to reflect on the way we look at each other. I believe that this sonnet not only applies to women's oppression, but can also be applicable to social structures. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was famous for speaking out towards injustices. She saw the way in which Spaniards, who at the time
had control over Mexico, treated the Mexican natives as well as the social class structure that they had brought from the European society. "We are a reflection of our own actions," (Ines de la cruz, 1) wrote Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz in one of her diaries. I believe that that quote can also be applied to this sonnet. Men who want women to be the best, finniest, and  the most loyal,
have created a "monster." By monster, in men's view, I mean to say that men at the time saw women as inferior humans who were only useful for having kids and taking care of the household while making their husband look good. This was not only true in Mexico but also in many other parts of the world, this could have even been seen in America at the time, of course under
different circumstances.    

Holy Sonnet 9 TPS-FASTT

HOLY SONNETS.

IX.
If poisonous minerals, and if that tree,
Whose fruit threw death on (else immortal) us,
If lecherous goats, if serpents envious
Cannot be damn'd, alas ! why should I be ?
Why should intent or reason, born in me,
Make sins, else equal, in me more heinous ?
And, mercy being easy, and glorious
To God, in His stern wrath why threatens He ?
But who am I, that dare dispute with Thee ?
O God, O !  of Thine only worthy blood,
And my tears, make a heavenly Lethean flood,
And drown in it my sin's black memory.
That Thou remember them, some claim as debt ;
I think it mercy if Thou wilt forget. 

Title: the title hints us towards the subject of the sonnet. The word "Holy" has a connection to religion. From the title we can infer that the author has religious affiliations and perhaps feels strong about his faith.  Being that it is a sonnet, the author perhaps feels a force that attracts him to religion and the evidence can be found in the authors religious and social history. 

Paraphrase:  If deathly substances, and if that tree,
whose fruit led humans to mortality,
if evil being beings, and sneaky and treacherous human beings
If they were responsible for it, why should I have to suffer for their actions.
Why should my qualities be overshadowed and ignored
everyone is a sinner, why do you only focus on mine?
If forgiving is so easy for god why is he ignoring me.
but who am I t question god?
oh God! only the good will be with you.
and I hope that my tiers will convince you to forgive me
and my sins be forgiven.
I am always in debt with you, Please forget what I have done.

Speaker: The speaker of the poem is a fellow sinner who is asking for forgiveness from God.

Figurative language: Allusion: there is allusion to the lethean flood. There is also an allusion to Adam and Eve.

Attitude: the attitude of the poem is depressing and realistic. Many times we do not take into account, as a spiritual person, that eternal salvation can only be achieved through good acts and a close relationship to God. As a sinner, we are on the contrary path and we do not realize we are on that path until its too late.

Shifts: The attitude of the poem shifts from accusing and stern to calm and asking for forgiveness. His attitude changes when he realism that everyone has sins and that his only path to salvation is found in the forgiveness in God.

Title:  after reading the sonnet, I came to the conclusion that the title of the sonnet indeed has a close relation to religion. This affiliation is evident in the them of the poem.

Theme: The theme of the poem is asking for forgives through realization. Now that the speaker has realized the importance of forgiveness in achieving eternal salvation, he has come to the conclusion that forgiveness of his past sins must be achieved. In order to fulfill that we see him plea for forgiveness claiming that he is just a regular day-to-day human who sins. 

                The speaker of the poem is going through a change in his faith. Perhaps he is getting older and has come to realize that a human being does not live forever and in the back of his mind begins to wonder if indeed he will achieve eternal salvation. Based on the poem, I believe that the speaker has come to the conclusion that he will not go to heaven but rather end up in hell. This is evident due to the shift in tone as well as the context of the sonnet. The speaker of the poem has begun to create a closer relationship to God by asking for forgiveness. The theme of the poem is very realistic in that the context of the sonnet also occurs to many Catholics and people from other religions. Many people can describe themselves to be "Catholic" but may only attend mass during Christmas season or the beginning of lent, ash Wednesday. In my opinion that is hypocrisy. How can an individual go to church every Sunday, ask for forgiveness by being the loudest one in church praying, sitting in the front of the church or asking for penitence by hitting there chest, but once mass is over turn the other way and goes about doing mindful sins believing that there sins can always be forgiven later. 
                 Another instance were we come to remember God is when we have a family member or even ourselves are sick or have been hurt. I have heard the quote "If you cure him/her I promise I will......" many times. Once that individual is cured we come to keep our promise for a week, a fee weeks or perhaps a month. And then...... we move on. Of course this description of a religious person does not apply to every single person, but it does to the majority of the "religious" population including myself. This sonnet invites us to reflect on our faith and ask ourselves a question: if I l was to die tomorrow, would I end up in heaven."
 I believe that this poem should make us realize the path that we are in and perhaps change the direction we are going, not waiting until it is too late when we are in our deathbed asking God to take us into his kingdom. 
                             

"If, Lord, thy Love is strong"

 If, Lord, Thy love for me is strong
As this which binds me unto thee,
What holds me from thee Lord so long,
What holds thee Lord so long from me?
O soul, what then desirest thou?
Lord I would see thee, who thus choose thee.
What fears can yet assail thee now?
All that I fear is but lose thee.
Love’s whole possession I entreat,
Lord make my soul thine own abode,
And I will build a nest so sweet
It may not be too poor for God.
A sould in God hidden from sin,
What more desires for thee remain,
Save but to love again,
And all on flame with love within,
Love on, and turn to love again.

- St Teresa Avila
Translated by  by Arthur Symons from Spanish to English.

Devotion to God is no longer a common occurrence in today's society. During the time the poem was written, sixteen century Spain had become a place of worship and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. For many becoming a priest or a nun was a great privilege and honor because everyone knew that great sacrifices had to be made in order to dedicate your entire life to the service of God. All the priest and nuns married a man, who in their eyes was seen as a path to eternal salvation and a person who represented more than life on earth. Through this poem we are able to get a glimpse at what a life of devotion is through the eyes of a nun, Saint Teresa Avila. A life of service to God was a life of prayer and worship. Worship to the man who will come again and walk among us and take those who have lived a life of belief and kindness to eternal salvation. But in order to achieve that, we must live a life of grace and humbleness. A life of kindness and especially one that displays love. Love not only to those around us but also to God, Jesus Christ. The versions of "God" varies depending on religion, and to some "God" represents a scientific particle of energy, but no matter what your religious affiliation is or how strong your belief in science is, Saint Teresa invites us to share our love and care about others. Life is short and even if we do not choose to become priest or nuns, we can always live a of faith and kindness and most importantly cherish our love with ourselves, people around us and God.