Comparison Of American Poems Essay, Research Paper

Comparison of American Poems

America is a melting pot of people and ideas that indirectly shape the youth of this country. Childhood proves to be the time in a person s life where they learn the most about themselves. Once they learn, they live and love by it. Aurora Levins Morales s poem Child of the Americas displays unashamed diversity by showing how people proudly profess their ethnicity, how even some brought here by a harsh fate still claim America as their true home, and therefore in America there is no true American.

In the 20th century, and still strong now in the 21st century, knowing who you are and being proud of it is common place unlike in earlier times. Morales identifies this with the first sentence of almost every stanza. There is no shame as each line simply and unapologetically explains, I am a Puerto Rican Jew or I am Carbena and so on. They inform the reader of their heritage, then go on to describe their way of life; their knowledge of life. Moraes goes on showing that these people s backgrounds pave the way for their future and their point of view in life.

I am not African. African is in me, but I cannot return. Not everyone in America had the choice of whether or not they wanted to live here. The greatest example of this is the Anglo Saxon s choice to come to America vs. the unappreciated slaves from Africa and around the world who were basically kidnapped and brought here to America. The fourth stanza provides the poem with a certain outlook on slavery and those who knew their ancestors did not choose to come here; that this is not the home of their blood. However, time has passed, times changes and America has become home. In reality that is what America is; a home, not a label.

To be an American is to live in America. There is no such thing as 100% American, except for figuratively. America is home to many people of different race, creed, religion, and ethnicity. America is not one thing, it is many things United.

The poem entails how some people, even some brought here by a harsh state still today, claims America as their home. This poem portrayed ethnicity as something to be proud of and not just something to hide behind. The fact that there is no true American brings forth great understanding that America is truly a melting pot and the knowledge that we learn from this melting pot can only help the cultural education process along, and bring it to new heights.