Gary Soto Tone

Not many people can recreate what life was like in a Spanish speaking, neighborhood, barrio, like Gary Soto. Gary Soto was born in Fresno, California to working-class Mexican-American parents in 1952. Soto’s father died when he was 5 years old from a work accident. Soto used this tragedy to help him write later on in life. He grew up working in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley and in factories, so a lot of his poetry is based on everyday experiences for Mexican-Americans like racism, identity and poverty. Soto’s poetry has a narrative quality and usually feels like a story. Many of Soto’s poems are a recreation of his own past that can transcend down to any generation. One characteristic of Soto’s poem’s is the use of Chicano words which
Additionally, many of Soto’s poems have a reflective tone because his poems are usually autobiographical. Typically Soto writes in free verse about past experiences and life milestones which is the case in his poem “Oranges”. Gary Soto’s poem “Oranges” is about a man recounting the details of his first date when he was 12 years old. “Oranges” represents the theme that innocence of young love allows for no external factors like poverty or expectations to affect them. The speaker of the poem goes through great lengths to ensure his girl is happy. The use of vivid imagery and symbolism of the weather, specifically the sun help support the theme of the poem. From the beginning of the poem the description of the weather appears as “Cold” (Soto ln 3) which is different than what would be expected from a poem titled “Oranges”. Typically a poem with a title like this would be set during the spring or
At the beginning of “Oranges” there is an example of enjambment “The first time I walked” (1) this makes the reader ponder on whether the poem is about a child’s first steps but as one reads on they realize it is meant to emphasize how important this walk with the girl is. The speaker’s walk with the girl becomes a milestone in the speaker’s life. Another line with enjambment is line 3 where the speaker is talking about how he feels weighed down. At first the reader may think he is weighed down because of the weather which can be true because there is the contrast of the warmth of their love and the cold winter but then as you read on he explains that he has the 2 oranges in his pocket. Typically Soto uses enjambment to place emphasis on certain words and make the poem seem like it is from a younger person's perspective. Soto does use similar language in this poem compared to his others. He never uses over complicated words because most of his poems are for a teen and younger audience. Additionally, Soto usually only has one long stanza but in “Oranges” he has two stanzas to emphasize the transition from the indoors back to the frigid outdoors. I believe “Oranges” is the most different from all of the other poems I read by Soto because it does not touch on the topic of race and has nothing relating to being a Chicano. This poem does however fit into the body of work by this poet stylistically with the use of