Option 2

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Option 2

Song of Myself

The speaker identifies himself in the poem. However, he has different personalities, each of which seems to have distinct characters. The first person is aware of his existence, and he continues doing ordinary activities. He goes hunting, and he is interested in fashion. He converses with a child, and he is curious about the world. He remains detached from the processes and things that he describes. The second person acts more like an observer than anything else. He is intrigued by the world. He watches different activities taking place and the people that do them. However, he does not show any desire to participate in them. The third person represents the speaker’s person and spirit. He is immortal, and he says so in the poem. He also acknowledges that other people are not aware of the fact.

The speaker is interested in different things. He speaks highly of death and believes that it is an important part of life cycle. He believes in equality. He cannot understand why people choose to be divisive just because they belong to different races. The speaker is interested in all aspects of nature. He considers humanity an important part of nature. The person speaking in the poem does not judge people based on what they do or who they are. He appreciates diversity and humanity. He does not believe that people should be ashamed of who they are, and takes the time to appreciate his naked body. He is immortal and able to go to different places at different eras. He engages in various professions and activities during his journeys. He focuses on different aspects of freedom when he mentions sex, religion, profession, and death.

I am Joaquin

The person speaking in the poem is caught up in a new world that is different from his own. The person in the poem has to decide what he wants to esteem most in his life. He has a firm understanding of his culture and his people and sees them in himself. The person speaking in the poem places himself at different times. He talks of how he toiled and bled for freedom once the colonialists were gone. He talks of his participation in the struggle for Mexico. The speaker sees himself as different people who have participated in the different revolutions and political uprisings for his country. He sees himself as a representative of the different groups and people that make up his country. Despite all the admiration and pride that he has for his culture, his people, and for those who have gone before him, and the passion he shows in the need to change, the speaker is also ashamed of his current self.

The speaker is a person who has been trapped by progress. He has had to abandon some of his beliefs as he has become more engaged in the new world. He says that as he examines himself, he cannot fail but notice that there are parts of him that have rejected his parents and disappeared in shame. However, he does not want other people from his culture to have the same experiences. The person speaking in the poem has not managed to for a good life of himself, and he continues to yearn for more. He says, “Now I bleed in some smelly cell from club, or gun, or tyranny…as I fight my way from stinking Barrios to the glamour of the Ring.”