Kelton Elias

5/22/2019
Gardner, G
Poetry Analysis

I am Offering this Poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca is a poem that describes the

overcoming of the sense of security when the rest of the world is a cold and dark place. The

poem is told in the first person, addressed to an unknown reader, letting them know that all there

is to give is love, and although at times might not seem enough, it is all that is needed to feel

safe. The central theme that the author Jimmy Santiago Baca develops is the sense of feeling

warmth and safety provided by a loved one. Using rhyme scheme, metaphors and similes, and

imagery, the author was able to illustrate these qualities.

The use of rhyme scheme in this poem is very minimal and is not present until the last

stanza. The lack of rhyming in the first three stanzas of the poem represents the insecurity of

whom this poem was addressed to. The lack of security links to the poetic devise because a non-

rhyming poem has less of a strictly confined structure and helps the reader understand the

situation of the narrator. In the last stanza of the poem, the author decides to add a rhyme scheme

of AA BB, “It’s all I have to give, and all anyone needs to live…” (24), which signifies the

feeling of safety which is brought to the narrator, showing that the use of loving someone was

affective. The switch between a free-verse poem to a confined, rhyming poem is an example of a

change in tone, adding significance, and showing gradual change in the narrator’s writing style.

The author uses metaphors and similes in this poem, and help the reader understand the

different points conveyed between the author and the reader. This includes communicating that

everything is going to be just fine, even though life seems to be getting rough. One simile-

metaphor cross that the author uses is describing the feeling of love, “Keep it like a warm coat

when winter comes to cover you. (3)” In this example, the warm coat represents the love’s
Kelton Elias
5/22/2019
Gardner, G
protective coating when living gets difficult. The winter coming is a metaphor used to describe

all the negative times and hardships that get in the way of being happy. Metaphors used by the

author in this poem describe the ways love should be handled. In order to describe keeping love

safe, the poet uses metaphors like “and in the corner of your drawer, tucked away like a cabin or

hogan. (17)” Imagery also play a big role in helping this poem be more understanding. For

instance, “tucked away like a cabin or hogan,” gives the reader a clear understanding that love

needs to be kept safe, set apart from miserable, negative things. Another example of a use of a

metaphor is “rest by this fire, and make you feel safe, (22)” which shows how “warm” love can

feel when it is shown correctly. Using similes and metaphors help the reader see the point being

made in their head, enhancing their ability to better understand the text with a more artistic touch

to it.

After the uses of rhyme scheme, metaphors, and imagery, the poem written by Jimmy

Santiago Baca represents the theme of feeling loved and safe. Using these poetic devises not only

enables the poem to become more understanding, but also enhances the way it sounds from the

reader’s perspective, spanning from repetition of certain words to free-verse and rhyming. In the

end, the outcome of these processes leaves the reader with a pleasantly written poem with deeper

meanings hidden within its depths.