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I am offering this Poem Analysis
Introduction
In “I Am Offering This Poem” by Jimmy Santiago Baca, the speaker communicates that true love makes one comfortable and is the most important thing that a person needs to live. He shows that even if there are no material things to be offered, giving someone true love is enough to make them feel safe. Baca conveys the theme of love in his poem by applying poetic styles like metaphors, similes, alliteration, and repetition, and by the use of a loving and dedicated tone.
This poem has a theme of love. The speaker talks about how he does not have much to offer his loved one, besides love through this poem that he has written. By writing this poem, he passes across the message that once a person has love, they have all they need. In the first two lines of the poem, Santiago Baca writes, “I am offering this poem to you, since I have nothing else to give” (Baca). He compares this poem to a coat and thick socks to keep warm in winter, a pot full of yellow corn to warm the belly in winter, and a treasure when lost to give direction. In the first two lines of the last stanza, the author writes, “It’s all I have to give, and all anyone needs to live” (Baca). Reading the poem, one understands that even if someone has no material things to give, they have given you the most important thing once they offer love. He also reminds his loved one in the last stanza that his love is the most important thing that they have, and it is enough. Whenever they feel like no one cares about them, they should remember his love.
There is a loving and dedicated tone throughout the poem. A loving tone can be seen in the way the speaker shows care for his loved one. He tells his loved one that with this poem, she has something to keep warm in winter, something to give them direction when they are lost, and a way to feel safe. He also writes to his audience, “I love you” at the end of every stanza. The speaker’s dedication towards his loved one can be seen in how he continually reminds them of his love. Moreover, even though he has nothing else but love through this poem to offer the reader, he does not deter from expressing his love for the reader. In the 6th and 7th lines of the third stanza, Baca tells his loved one that she can always come knocking when she feels lost, and he will give them direction. He writes, “come knocking, and I will answer, give you directions” (Baca). This is also a statement that tells us how much he is dedicated to his loved one, that anytime she needs him, he will be available.
The speaker makes use of several poetic techniques, including metaphors, similes, repetition, and alliteration. In the second stanza, Baca calls his poem a pot full of yellow corn and a scarf. He writes, “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, to tie up around your face” (Baca). These lines are metaphorical. Another style similar to metaphors that Baca uses is similes. He compares his writing to things like a warm coat and a pair of thick socks in the winter, a treasure, and a cabin. He urges his beloved to treasure this poem and keep it away as a cabin or hogan tucked in dense trees (Samson). Additionally, Baca compares his love to a fire that his beloved can rest by and warm themselves to feel safe.
Furthermore, Baca applied alliteration. This is when words with the same first letter are used successively (Baldwin). Alliteration can be seen in the line “when winter comes to cover you” in the first stanza and the second line of the last stanza, “and all anyone needs to live.” Besides alliteration, the speaker used repetition. The line “I love you” is repeated as a refrain after every stanza, probably to emphasize the love he has for his reader.
In conclusion, Jimmy Santiago Baca, using his poem “I am Offering This Poem,” illustrates to readers what true love is. True love is like a warm coat and a pair of warm socks in the winter. It is like a pot full of yellow corm to warm the belly in the winter, and it is like a scarf to tie over the head to cover the hair. He communicates that true love brings a sense of comfort and safety using various poetic styles and a dedicated, loving tone. He also teaches us through his poem that true love is all a person needs to live. Love is everything a person should remember in this world to keep them going.
WORKS CITED
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. “I Am Offering This Poem By Jimmy Santiago Baca | Poetry Foundation”. Poetry Foundation, 1990, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/53092/i-am-offering-this-poem.
Baldwin, Emma. “Analysis Of I Am Offering This Poem By Jimmy Santaigo Baca”. Poem Analysis, 2020, https://poemanalysis.com/jimmy-santaigo-baca/i-am-offering-this/.
Samson, Saron. “I Am Offering This Poem”. Prezi.Com, 2014, ttps://prezi.com/gp7xwbtkuzys/i-am-offering-this-poem/.