Poetry

The theme of Jayanta Mahapatra's poem "The Whorehouse in a Calcutta Street" is the humanization of sex workers. Mahapatra challenges societal views that dehumanize prostitutes, depicting them as...

O. V. N. Kurup's poem "Earthen Pots" primarily explores the themes of lack of identity and unknown destiny. The earthen pots, indistinguishable and at the mercy of customers, represent beings with no...

The main themes of Richard Blanco's "Como Tú / Like You / Like Me" are immigration and identity, focusing on the experiences of foreign-born children in a new country. Blanco addresses memory and...

The principal theme of "Where I'm From" is the elements that make up a person's identity. The poem is also about childhood and the experience of growing up within a family.

The poem "I Am Joaquin" explores the search for personal and cultural identity, reflecting on heritage, ancestry, and roots. It honors past heroes who protected their land and expresses pride in...

In the poem "Resurrection," Sally Wen Mao attempts to show the historical continuity of ethnic and gender identity and how it can provide some degree of comfort in the midst of an impersonal urban...

Imtiaz Dharker's poem "The Right Word" explores how language shapes perceptions. It begins with a figure described as a "terrorist" lurking outside, but as the poem progresses, this figure is...

The epic hero in "I am Joaquin/ Yo soy Joaquin" is Joaquin himself. He embodies the collective struggle and identity of the Latino culture, representing a composite of various cultural and historical...

"These Are Wintering Words" is a poem written by Marilyn Dumont and first published in a collection of poetry entitled "The Pemmican Eaters." The poem celebrates mixed race heritage, and serves as a...

"In the Park" by Gwen Harwood depicts a young mother overwhelmed by her role, sitting with her four children. Her appearance reflects her sacrifices, and a chance encounter with a former lover...

A speaker is a person speaking in the poem.

The essence of Francisco X. Alarcón's "Mexican is Not a Noun" is encapsulated in the stanza: "'Mexican' / is a life / long / low-paying / Job." This passage highlights the theme of economic...

Eileen Myles' poem "That Country" explores themes of identity, language, and cultural imperialism. The narrator grapples with naming England and questions the imprecision and evolution of the English...

In Jeni Couzyn's "House of Changes," the words "Vulnerable," "Mindful," "Commendable," "Equivocal," "Harmful," and "Imminent" represent personified emotions within the speaker, likened to women...

The speaker's tone seems to change as the poem progresses, moving from a humorous description of her mother to a more impassioned plea for people to celebrate their individuality and not judge others...