All of the five poems I chose were from a popular work of Sandra Cisneros’ called The House on Mango Street. But although all five poems are from the same work, they are vastly different, yet share some key similarities. I noticed that every poem does a masterful job of making the main character Esperanza’s voice come through. The clear and direct voice present makes you feel as if Esperanza is the one writing these poems, not an adult. And this just proves that Sandra Cisneros is a very good writer because she was able to write as a character so well, that the tone is so clear and decipherable among all these poems, and doesn’t get lost along the way. Another main part that these poems have in common, is the observation that Esperanza talks about. Whether she is talking about another person, like Mamacita or her dad, she includes the major and especially minute and intricate details. Like their hair, or their voices. Esperanza is writing about her environment and the people that surround her daily.
Now, although each poem is together in one piece of work by Cisneros, they all are a small part of teen Esperanza’s journey of growing up and learning about who she is. So it’s apparent that every poem talks about different topics, like death, hair, or even a neighbor across the street. Each poem tells you more about Esperanza’s life, and allows the reader to relate to some of the events of her life.
