Perez: Poem Analysis

The first craft choice I think is working well in this collection is the tone. As I was reading, the words Perez used made a visual image in my mind. Although the topics talked about (war, government, military, etc…) were very serious, the author managed to shift the tone using lighter lines with humor. I think the authors tone was intentional. I think Perez wants the readers to feel informed, affected, then empowered. I felt the emotions of the narrator as I read this collection which is why tone stood out to me so much. Another strong literary element was the author’s connection to giving the readers a personal story along with a monumental, historical event that so many people can relate too. I think not only people who have family or are from Guam relate to this, but anyone who has faced oppression. One of the weaker crafts in these poems was the form. I normally like shorter poems, especially when they are broken up into couplets. However, there were times Perez used couplets, where I would have used something else. Some of the line breaks, although intentional, took away from the poem. Example: ginen tidelands [latte stone park] (14). One comment I also would like to mention
My stories plot determines how many characters I’d use in my story. Lately I’ve read stories where it’s only the narrator and his thoughts. I think you can use this technique, as long as the character is going through something major. That way it’s not a flatline story. If a single character is going through a constant reel of events, I wouldn’t necessarily need other characters. I could mention them and give short responses and dialogue, but I don’t need to give them a name or description, suggesting to the reader they have some significance or importance. If a character is necessary to my story, I would make that clear by giving enough background information and detail each time they’re included in a