Speaker or Narrator, and Point of View
Some of the poems are written from the perspective of Herrera, others are from the perspective of fictional characters.
Form and Meter
Many of the poems are written in free verse.
Metaphors and Similes
"I said five, said five like a guitar says six"
Alliteration and Assonance
"papers, photos of his children in/ another country, he cries a little."
Irony
In the poem "Half the world in light," the father must travel away from his children in order to provide for them.
Genre
20th Century poetry
Setting
America in the 20th Century
Tone
Thoughtful and emotional
Protagonist and Antagonist
The speaker of the poem is often the protagonist.
Major Conflict
Much of the conflict in the poems is to do with reconciling Chicano culture and ancestry with living in 20th Century America.
Climax
Each poem has its own climax.
Foreshadowing
The description of the father feeling emotional about his family foreshadows the powerful ending of the poem.
Understatement
The father is described as crying "a little" when he thinks of his family, which is an understatement of his feelings.
Allusions
Herrera refers to Chicano culture and religion in his poems.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"The Virgin" is used as a metonym for Mary.
Personification
the bed is described as being "stretched" against the clouds.
Hyperbole
N/A
Onomatopoeia
N/A
