I Am O ffering T his Poem

1. I Am Offering This Poem By: Jimmy Santiago Baca Presentation by: Danilo Munoz

3. Poetic Structure and Speaker Composed of 8 stanzas and 30 lines No rhyme Free-verse poem Speaker is a person that is deeply in love with someone however they don’t have enough money to get the things to show there love for them and so they are expressing there feelings through this poem.

4. Historical Background Jimmy Santiago Baca was abandoned by his parents and at age 13 ran away from the orphanage where his grandmother had placed him. He was convicted on drug charges in 1973 and spent five years in prison. Baca was sentenced to five years in a maximum security prison this is where he began to turn his life around. Santa Barbara’s 2010 Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. Pushcart Prize, the American Book Award for Poetry, the International Hispanic Heritage Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the International Prize

5. Analysis The theme of the poem is that love is the most valuable part of a relationship. Even though someone may not be able to offer material things, they can always offer their love to the other individual in the relationship.

6. Poetic Element: Repetition Repetition of a sound, syllable, word, phrase, line, stanza, it reinforces that sound, syllable, word, phrase, or line to show its significance and reiterate its importance. The line “I love you” is repeated four times in line seven, thirteen, twenty-three, and thirty. It has its own line to keep representing its importance and its significance.

7. Poetic Element: Imagery Line 5: a pair of thick socks Line 23: this fire, rest by this fire Line 9: pot full of yellow corn Imagery is the name given to the elements in a poem that spark off the senses. The importance of this in a poem is so one can create an image that relates to the poem and more easily understand it.

8. Poetic Element: Simile Keep it like a warm coat when winter comes to cover you, or like a pair of thick socks Keep it, treasure this as you would if you were lost, needing direction, Compares the poem to a warm coat and to a pair of socks Compares the poem to a treasure so they can use it when they are lost or need comfort. The word “like” or “as” to signify a direct comparison between two things that are alike in a certain way.

9. Poetic Element: Metaphor so it is a pot full of yellow corn to warm your belly in winter, it is a scarf for your head, to wear over your hair It is comparing it to a pot of yellow corn that is warm It is comparing it to a scarf to keep them warm metaphor expands the sense and clarifies the meaning of something, metaphors immediately identify one object or idea with another, in one or more aspects. Not using like or as.

10. Poetic Element: Figurative Meaning Keep it like a warm coat when winter comes to cover you, or like a pair of thick socks the cold cannot bite through, When they feel they cant do any thing right remember the poem so it keeps those thoughts away Keep it, treasure this as you would if you were lost, needing direction When they are lost in the world and have no idea what to do they need to seek the poem for it will comfort them and guide them let you warm yourself by this fire, Rest by this fire and make you feel safe There love is as bright and burns as much as a fire, their love will keep them warm, make them feel loved

11. Poetic Element: Literal Meaning it is a scarf for your head, to wear over your hair let you warm yourself by this fire

12. Bibliography http://www.poetryfoundation.org http://kroqgar.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/i-am-offering-this-poem-by-jimmy-santiago-baca/ http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-am-offering-this-poem/ http://www.jimmysantiagobaca.com/