Student Question
What does the poem "Oranges" convey about young love?
Quick answer:
The poem "Oranges" conveys young love as a hopeful, tender experience, symbolized by the warm oranges in contrast to the cold December day. The young boy's nervousness and anticipation on his first date highlight the special nature of young love, where every small gesture holds potential significance. Symbols like the oranges, bell, and aisle suggest warmth, promise, and even the distant possibility of marriage, emphasizing the hopeful nature of youthful romance.
In "Oranges," Soto attempts to distill what it is about young love that makes it seem so special. In particular, he offers us a portrait of young love that is defined, as much as anything, by hope. Take the title, for example. The oranges that the young man carries in his jacket pocket on his first date represent warmth and summer, full of promise. Contrast this symbolism with the ice-cold day in December on which the date actually takes place.
The speaker's understandably nervous, but still hopes that this will be a successful first date. It may be freezing cold outside—hardly the best conditions—but that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that there's always the prospect, however remote, that something special may emerge from this tentative encounter.
As well as the symbol of the oranges, there's also the bell and the aisle, which we see when the speaker and his date go into the drugstore to buy some candy. Both of these symbols could be said to refer to the possibility of a wedding between them at some point in the distant future. Of course, it is very early for them to be thinking about marriage, but—in keeping with the overall tone of the poem—there's always hope.
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