The immediate impression I get from commencing reading Elizabeth Acevedo’s, The Poet X, is that it makes for easy reading. The poems that I have looked at so far, are easy to read. They relate to a contemporary setting and imagery that you the reader can readily identify with in the cultural milieu of urban metropolitan areas.
Take for instance her opening fare titled Stoop-Sitting. From the “black and white” medium of print, a late afternoon, late summer scene jumps to life in the senses of the reader. Senoritas, flowing along the pavements in tight revealing clothing and mini-skirts, stimulate the machismo of los chicos – from their rich and colorful vernacular to their lifestyles and tastes (fast colorful cars, tabaco in every form and las cervezas –Corona, Modelo etc.). Las calles estan caliente!
Los viejos, las viejas and los ninos happily frolic in the summer afternoon. The former in measured contentment, and the latter (the kids) frisking around in pleasant vocalization of glee. She relates this and you can easily imagine it.
There is social control. She intimates she is not supposed to be out in the streets as she has to return to the confines of home before Mami returns. But there is happiness, despite this restriction. Happiness is the sense of being, and essence of life.
The happiness is related from the age of adolescence it seems, the maturity of such in life, and also the time of most intra and interpersonal conflict and turmoil (Unhide-able, Mira Muchacha, Names). There is happiness, though and the natural experience of “flourishing” and “blooming” is there, with this time in life. There is contentment in her femininity.
She highlights her character traits of being a warrior (her name Xiamora even meaning this) and the impression that she was the aberration in the family (First Words). She is relating the familiar teenage life story – inner conflict and turmoil, rebelliousness, disenchantment with family and friends – from that perspective.
She relates the work her Mami does – a custodian it seems (Mami Works). She is not ashamed, embarrased or does not pity her, but in her youthful analysis, she postulates that her Mami should dream (possibly of some elevated status and glitz). She does not imagine herself ending up that way.
What is apparent is that she is relating a story in the life of herself as a teenager, sequentially, through simple likeable poetry.
Confirmation Class and God presents the expected reverence for religion and the omnipotent, but then the mortal failings (not necessarily the clergy) come into play, shaking the desire for and confidence in the institution. The church is not mutually exclusive of society and its happenings, it seems. This is another characteristic adolescent story.
There is a sense of disgust at parental control (When you are Born to Old Parents and its sequence). There may be peer comparisons and pressure here.
Mami is divine – the closest thing to Jesus (Rumor has it). Even though there is an overtone of sarcasm at her Mami’s strictness, there is some reverent respect as well. Common disposition among teens, again. Mom and Dad are the best in the world, yet oppressive.
And the story continues with episodes of church obligations (First Confirmation Class, Father Sean, Haiku). Just waiting to get out.
Then there is Boys. Was the experience as simple as that, in the D.R.? Tu sabes! Another lifetime milestone is reached where the opposite sex are now seen in that light.
Friendship is overwhelming in trying to match “peer perfection”. The turmoil of dissatisfaction with herself and the allure of boys are related in (Caridad and I should not be Friends). Unnecessary depression…only if she knew better, then.
The attention of boys and its potential conflict with Mami’s strict rules, is revealed in Questions I have.
Night Before First Day of School and H.S. relate the dreaded expectations and what school life seemingly is, to teenagers experiencing it. Other life is always more appealing than what makes you “successful” in the “avenues” to such, in life.
I took a peek at the last entries in the book and have come to realize that it is the poet’s recitation of her life story up to the time she won acclaim as a poet. It is a marvelous read – simple poetry in an accumulative story. This was entirely new to me. Poetry can be hard to discern sometimes, if you do not have the time to identify its rhythm and other meanings.
I will continue reading. I enjoy it for its simplicity.
The emphasis is the underworld i.e. the central theme of the mysticism and mythology. There is an immersion in what today may be called the alternate lifestyle – libido, eroticism, leisure, pleasure, hedonism – and this being the central focus relation, and indeed non-labor social relation at that time.
What images and metaphors does it present, and why are they meaningful?
The emphasis on her descent from “nobility” of the formal society to engage in the practices of alternative lifestyles in different geographic centers, identifies and reinforces the symbolism and story of the deity of Nanna. She was held in high esteem by the society, yet her indulgencies in a non-conformist lifestyle were the ingredients for the folklore and myth of her being.
What symbolic language is introduced in the reading? What is the meaning of the symbols that are used in the story?
Metaphoric use in the story of the deity of Nanna is used throughout the story to relate her shift from her “noble” perceptions by the society to that of the “fickle” lifestyle. It applies to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. For instance it states that “In Uruk she abandoned her temple to descend to the underworld”. She could not leave and travel form Uruk to the underworld, as our understanding of it (underworld) is that of the criminal element of human society – a conceptual state of mind categorizing outlawed practices. The emphasis of such behavior in the story indicates an “addiction”, or at least, a seasoned practice.
What is the tone that exists in this story and your selected quotes from the story?
The tone of the story is one of adulation to me. Even though the practices of Nanna are fickle to the norm, she is respected in both beings she depicts – as a deity. She commands high status (possibly the highest), and she immerses herself in deviousness to the norm (sexuality etc.).
What are the general themes that are being addressed and why are those ideas interesting to you?
I think the theme being addressed by the story is certainly the alternative lifestyle to the norm, of the deity. Fertility, libido, eroticism, suggestiveness leading to seduction, leisure, pleasure, hedonism are all evident, reiterated and central to the stories subject.
What are the main ideas in the reading?
A literary scholar, Dr. Oliver Tearle relates that in The Descent of Inanna, the titular goddess descends into the underworld, in order to observe the funeral rites of Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven and to visit her sister Ereshkigal, Queen of the Dead. She leaves her minister Nincubura with instructions to guard the mortal world in her absence, and seek help from other priests and priestesses to ensure Inanna comes to no harm in the underworld. (The lacerating of Nincubura’s nose, ears, and buttocks is also requested.) Inanna goes to the underworld ‘armed’ with the seven divine powers, including a turban and wig on her head and beads of lapis lazuli around her neck. (The poem utilises plenty of repetition and commands, giving it the feel of a chant or prayer as much as an epic narrative poem.)
Unfortunately, when Inanna arrives in the underworld, her sister seems reluctant to see her, and commands the Queen of the Dead to make Inanna divest each of her seven divine powers, one at each of the gates leading into the underworld. Crown, scepter, and clothes are all removed until Inanna, naked and lacking the talismans she had ‘armed’ herself with, arrives in hell. The two sisters meet, and then Inanna, aided by two demons sent to retrieve her from the underworld (by the faithful Nincubura, of course), returns to the land of the living.
The blunt sexuality in the poetic elegance and intricacy is apparent.
Do you agree/disagree with the author’s claims or values?
I see the story and poetry as a record of the reality of an icons life in time, absorbed in the subjective mysticism and mythology of spiritual life. This would have been of significance, as even though agrarian life was an evolution from hunter gathering, the scientific age was still not of significance to overwhelm or take precedence over these communal belief systems. So it is not a reason of agreeing or disagreeing with the author’s claims or values, but it is an excellent and useful record of the time. It signifies the beginning of the use of our biological sexuality in excess, as a recreational purpose.
Connect the author’s ideas to the world as you see it now.
Real life experience enveloped and shrouded in mystery and myth still prevails in society, today. In fact, it can be argued that as society as evolved in size (mega-populous communities, towns, cities, megalopolis, countries, continents and regions etc.) and aided by instantaneous communication technology (social media), these stories and poetry perpetuating beliefs with varying proportions of real life experience, mysticism and mythology, is even more established. It does not have to wait on physical travel from one community to another for the story to be told, understood and be distorted. It happens instantaneously, with possibly more intricacies and intrigue. The story of Inanna is eloquently and elegantly related, indicating the significance of language as a medium of communication (at least in this record). Language and literature here extend to the limits of the art, in the complexity of the message.
Do you have any key questions that emerge from this material?
For me, I would like an examination as to whether, or how much we have changed over the numerous millennium. The central key to Inanna was the ability of us as human beings to indulge in the other chemistries we possess (the sex hormones – androgens, estrogens, and progestogens), in namely the Freudian classifications of the superego, ego and id. This is in contrast to the fight, flight and fright responses that would have overwhelmed us in hunter gathering societies, where instinctive survival was essential. The agrarian revolution and consequent communal society, created surplus food, clothing, shelter and and some sense of fortified security for clans to kingdoms, curtailing the need to constantly move to satisfy these needs significantly, and allowed populations to geometrically expand in fixed places. It also allowed the liberty of time to do and experience other non-survival things. Association and proximity allowed people to now meet, explore and attempt to satisfy other biological feelings more than was necessary before – i.e. libido (according to Freud’s classification). With the surplus time available now, this overwhelming, instinctive aspect of our biology took precedence over our lives. Its centralized focus in society is reflected in such a story as The Descent of Inanna, numerous millennia ago. It still is an obsession of us in our free time today. We are still biologically driven – our media, press story telling (media, magazines and other printed material) are all “oiled” by this biological urgency. We may have socially constructed norms, customs, practices, procedures, regulations, laws etc. to manage the biological urge as well as the extraordinary development of the cortex in the brain (cerebral cortex), compared to other species. However, the biological urge to always “pass on our genes” as scientists say today, is still there and of overwhelming significance in our chemistry, that men in particular come in conflict and defile these principles (sex scandals in public and private officialdom, and throughout society etc.). Our storytelling of the icons we have today (from Marilyn Monroe through to Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B., Stormy Daniels etc.) is still about sexuality and vanity. Their escapades, exploits and lifestyle may be recorded in electronic social media for millennia to come, and may be puzzled over to ascertain fact from fiction (Jennifer Lopez’s legs were supposed to be insured, but it turned out, not to be so).The stories constructed daily proportionate real life experience with overwhelming subjective folklore, mysticism and mythology (the “spin” stories of the media and printed press). The utilization of metaphors is as much the same, now, as millennia ago. Sexual deviations from the norm (monogamy) among iconic life, is suavely put, and less of a contention now with its frequency and acceptance. Numerous marriages and divorces, partners, exhibitive lifestyles, fornication, adultery etc., can arguably be equated with the behavioral deviations in Inanna. The story of Inanna indicates to us that we are more so of the same biology as we were millennium ago, and the same deviant indulgences of our biological sexuality in excess, was as vibrant then as it is now.
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