I Am Offering this Poem
By Jimmy Santiago Baca
i am offering this poem to you,
since I have nothing else to give.
Keep it like a warm coat
when winter comes to cover you,
or like a pair of thick socks
the cold cannot bite through,I have nothing else to give you,
so it is a pot full of yellow corn
to warm your belly in winter,
it is a scarf for your head, to wear
over your hair, to tie up around your face,Keep it, treasure this as you would
if you were lost, needing direction,
in the wilderness life becomes when mature;
and in the corner of your drawer,
tucked away like a cabin or hogan
in dense trees, come knocking,
and I will answer, give you directions,
and let you warm yourself by this fire,
rest by this fire, and make you feel safeIt’s all I have to give,
and all anyone needs to live,
and to go on living inside,
when the world outside
no longer cares if you live or die;
remember,
Summary of I Am Offering this Poem
- Popularity of “I Am Offering this Poem”: Written back in 1979, “I am Offering this Poem” is a beautiful love poem. The writer artistically plays with words to unfold the beauty of love. Also, he reflects on the importance of writing poetry, reflecting that a writer can make his feelings immortal by transferring them to paper. It, however, has won global adoration because of its unique representation of love.
- “I Am Offering this Poem” As a Representative of Love: This love poem begins with the description of giving something precious to someone. The writer compares his piece of writing to a coat or warm pair of socks that can keep his lover warm during the biting cold. He also declares his infinite love for the person. As the poem continues, he compares his gift to a warm pot of corn and a scarf that will protect his lover from the extreme cold. He urges her to keep this gift and cherish it as though she is utterly lost in a forest, and this piece of writing will become a shelter in the lonely woods of life. Moreover, whenever the lady feels lonely in life, this magnificent piece of art will be there to hold her, console her or make her feel comfortable. The speaker ends the poem while singing praise for love as, to him, love is the only thing that keeps people going.
- Major Themes in “I Am Offering this Poem”: Love, commitment, care, and the importance of writing are the major themes of the poem. Throughout the poem, the poet uses different situations to show how love can become a shelter, comfort, and companion of a person. He uses his artistic mind to compare love to several objects used specifically during the winter to show the warmth of this beautiful feeling. The mesmerizing comparison of love to the winter season makes the reader understand how love supports a person during hard times. Moreover, presenting a poem as a beautiful gift shows that there is no downfall to writing. It seems that the feelings recorded in written form become immortal and unchangeable.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in I Am Offering this Poem
literary devices are used to bedeck the writer’s simple ideas and emotions. Their usage brings depth and quality to the poems. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “when winter comes to cover you” and the sound of /o/ in “I am offering this poem to you.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick successions, such as the sound of /w/ in “when winter comes to cover you.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /n/ in “in the wilderness, life becomes when mature;” and the sound of /r/ in “and let you warm yourself by this fire.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“I am offering this poem to you,
since I have nothing else to give.
Keep it like a warm coat
when winter comes to cover you,”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Jimmy Santiago Baca used imagery in this poem, such as “when winter comes to cover you”, “over your hair, to tie up around your face” and “in dense trees, come knocking.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used love as an extended metaphor in the poem to show how it stands with a person through thick and thin.”
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet has personified trees and trees in the poem, such as “in dense trees, come knocking.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols such as love, comfort, writing, and care to demonstrate the theme of love.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Am Offering this Poem
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote lovers while expressing their special feelings for someone.
“It’s all I have to give,
and all anyone needs to live,
and to go on living inside,
when the world outside
no longer cares if you live or die;
remember,”