Post 6: Feb 28

When I think about Carreno’s poem, I think about power and how it is wielded by the voice in the poem. There were many things that intrigued me with this poem, namely the use of the serpent both as a symbol and a means to add power and layered meaning to the poem itself. However, overall I noticed that this poem is powerful because of its context, and the voice that shines through the poem does so because of the way the poem is constructed.

The poem starts with an established and powerful voice as the speaker demands permission to speak and goes straight into establishing themselves as an ally of “the silenced and unheard”. The speaker immediately reinforces the strength of their message by establishing that this person and their voice cannot be silenced nor evaded. The first two lines of the poem, in my opinion, is used as a tool to establish tone and voice by using precise and powerful language and punctuation. Specifically, “Permission to speak” is not followed by a form of punctuation that appears to wait for a response, such as a question mark or period. Instead, it is followed by a simple comma that leads into the remaining line that established who this speaker is (in relation to the topic at hand). The second line begins with words that are commanding and forceful, “I am”; I say commanding and forceful because this speaker will not allow others to dictate who they are and the purpose for their voice being heard, instead, the speaker is telling the reader (and everyone else) who they are and what they speak for. When we talk about people who are underrepresented and silenced, this is a bold (and necessary) move.

It is moments such as these in the poem that really stuck out to me as representative of the voice in this particular poem. When I think about what is used to establish this voice, I feel it is atmosphere. The way words are manipulated to set a specific atmosphere and communicate a certain message is the most powerful tool that is used.