Becoming A Poet Jimmy Santiago Baca Summary

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17 October 2013 Writing is Freedom Jimmy Santiago Baca offers an insight into his dynamic voyage to self-realization.”Becoming a Poet” is an essay taken from Baca’s autobiography. He provides a powerful message through his writings. Writing is a means to freedom and it allowed Baca to efficiently find his voice. Baca seemed like an average convict who picked up the hobby of writing to the naked eye. In reality Baca let books play a prominent role in his life, let language free him, and intimately connected with his audience. Baca expressed that writing offers an escape to anyone willing to attempt to reach for it.
Books were vital to Baca’s survival in the harsh conditions he was subjected to while incarcerated. Baca stated, “Even as I tried to convince myself that I was merely curious, I became so absorbed in how the sounds created music in me
and happiness, I forgot where I was” (388). This a powerful statement because something as modest as a book, which is nothing more than a collection of words on pages, can offer an escape out of his current predicament. Poems and empty notebooks were necessary for Baca to keep himself sane. These things that the general population take for granted gave him a temporary relief for his mind although his body was restricted. Through books he was able to self-educate himself to read and write. Overall the impact that books had on Baca was directly related to his circumstances.

Baca reveals in his essay that, “Through language I was free” (389). Baca freed his mind by expanding his thoughts. The first book that he speaks of in the beginning of the essay, 450 Years of Chicano History in Pictures, opened and broadened his perspective. This book was important to him because it showed his ancestors in a different light. The Mexicans were revolting against oppression. Had he not have come across that book he would have never known that his predecessors had defended themselves. Baca also shared the book with his friends. He helped others open their minds. “Consider what this suggests about writing and about the connections between writing and thinking” (390). While incarcerated he aided other inmates in communicating. He traded his poems and letters for pencils, writing tablets, and novels. He aided fellow prisoners in expressing themselves, he gave a voice to the voiceless. Baca spent an abundance of time in solitary confinement and the mentally disturbed unit. Physically he was limited but his psyche could not be contained. Although Baca being alone was supposed to cripple him, it allowed his mind to thrive without interruption. This is how language freed him because it allowed his mind to go where his body could not. Baca was capable of bonding with the audience through this essay. I similarly to Baca, kept a journal. When writing in my journal I felt like I could write anything. My grammar or organization skills would not be accessed. There was no prompt, and whatever was heavy on my heart was the topic of choice. I could write my darkest thoughts and not be condemned for them, and on the contrary I could write about things that made me joyous and not be considered narcissistic. Baca writes, “Writing bridged my divided life of prisoner and free man” (392). Parallel to Baca I used my writing to bridge two different parts of my life. In my writing I was confident and not soft spoken. I wrote about places I had never been and things I had never seen. Like Baca my writing was not meant to mask any feelings but more so to medicate rage. With writing as an outlet Baca and I both were able to flourish. Most people thrive when under pressure like a diamond shined after being polished. Baca’s essay is relatable because his experiences are believable. Writing along with other aspects of education is empowering.
Baca realized that he was a functioning illiterate. He wanted to become educated even under undesirable circumstances. He mentions in his essay that he asked his pen pal for a grammar book, although he did not revive it this shows that he had an interest in improving his writing. Baca’s abuse and suffering began after he demanded that he be able to receive his GED. The captain knew what power the GED held. Writing can open doors and make one conscious. Baca was supposed to be kept in the dark. Instead, although under tyranny, he thrived in the darkness and became a poet.
Jimmy Santiago Baca made books essential, let language free him from his physical restraints, and he wrote an essay resonated with me loudly. Writing is freedom and allowed Baca to find his voice. Although the content that you can read can be monitored, no one can stop the voice that is inside your head. That inner voice then flows to paper, and without interruption or interjection it becomes the purest form of
freedom.

Works Cited
Baca, Jimmy Santiago. “Becoming A Poet.” Reading Our World Conversations in Context. Ed. Robert P Yagelski. 2nd ed. Boston:Wadsworth, 2010. 38-392. Print Yagelski, Robert, ed. “Beoming A Poet.” Reading Our World Conversations in Context. Ed. Robert P Yagelski. 2nd ed. Boston:Wadsworth, 2010. 386-392. Print