Poetic Comparisons of Identity and Race

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Poetic Comparisons of Identity and Race In the melting pot of America, topics of race and ethnicity are part of a national discussion. The population of the United States has never been more diverse than it is now. These demographic changes have already changed the nation's past and will most certainly continue to shape its future. The diversity of our population contributes to how we as Americans see ourselves. The constant evolution of society, the changing attitudes and perceptions in regards to race and ethnicity, socioeconomics and where we live, adds to each American's human experience and creates a unique culture all our own. As a result each individual is influenced by issues of race and ethnicity. It defines our self-image for good or for bad. It is these influences that inspired the authors whose poems will be contrasted. “What It's Like to be a Black Girl” and “Child of the Americas” both depict ethnic women and their experience as women of color. Although there are similarities, the differences in tone and sentiment are in stark contrast from each other. Race and cultural identities give individuals a sense of purpose and direction. Their experiences are relevant and demonstrate the bitterness of a negative self-identity and the contentedness of a positive one. We learn that the shared American identity has very little to do with race and ethnicity. It is our self-perception that impacts each individual in the quest to answer the question, “Who am I?” The poem by Patricia Smith, “What It's Like to be a Black Girl”, describes a young girl beginning puberty and who feels out of control and insecure. Her first words demonstrate this when she states, “first of all, it's being 9 years old and feeling like you're not finished, like your edges are wild, like there's something, everything, wrong....” (Smith, 1991). This experience very well could be part of

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