Problems with Hurricanes
By Victor Hernández Cruz – 1949-
A campesino looked at the air
And told me:
With hurricanes it’s not the wind
or the noise or the water.
I’ll tell you he said:
it’s the mangoes, avocados
Green plantains and bananas
flying into town like projectiles.How would your family
feel if they had to tell
The generations that you
got killed by a flying
Banana.Death by drowning has honor
If the wind picked you up
and slammed you
Against a mountain boulder
This would not carry shame
But
to suffer a mango smashing
Your skull
or a plantain hitting your
Temple at 70 miles per hour
is the ultimate disgrace.The campesino takes off his hat—
As a sign of respect
toward the fury of the wind
And says:
Don’t worry about the noise
Don’t worry about the water
Don’t worry about the wind—
If you are going out
beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful
sweet things.
Summary of Problems with Hurricanes
- Popularity of “Problems with Hurricanes”: “Problems with Hurricanes” by Victor Hernández Cruz, a Puerto Rican poet, and activist, is an interesting piece about the natural forces and death by a mango. Although the poem appeared in his collection Maraca: New and Selected Poems published in 2001, it seems that it was written a long time ago. It was published by Coffee House Press. The unique feature of the poem lies in the presentation of a novel idea that it is shameful to die when smashed with a flying fruit.
- “Problems with Hurricanes” As a Representative of Natural Forces and Their Fury: Using his mother tongue words such as campesino, Cruz opens the poem saying that the farmer has told him that when hurricanes invade the land, they make everything flying projectiles that can kill the people. Even mangoes, avocadoes, and bananas kill a person when they hit. This becomes disgraceful as the people have to tell others how their near or dear ones have breathed their last. And if they tell that they have died hit by a flying banana, it becomes very shameful for them. He tells the poet further that it is an honor to get killed in some natural disaster or fury of some natural force. However, it is very shameful to be smashed by a flying mango or some other fruit. Therefore, his final word of care is that nobody should worry about anything natural. However, people should be worried about sweet things such as mangoes for such a death causes disgrace to the person’s family and his reputation.
- Major Themes in “Problems with Hurricanes”: Fury of the natural forces, death in natural forces, and death of disgrace are three major themes. When the poet asks the farmer about his life, he immediately blurts out that he is afraid of the wind and hurricanes that make sweet fruit flying missiles that smash the heads of the people they hit. However, simultaneously, he argues that people should not worry about natural forces such as wind or water, for death in such a situation is not disgraceful but it is disgraceful when some fruit hits you and causes you to die.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In “Problems with Hurricanes”
literary devices mold simple poetic pieces into excellent poems. Their appropriate usage makes language grand and enchanting. Cruz has also used some literary devices in this poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Anaphora: It means the repetition of the first part of the sentence in the next clauses or verses such as “Don’t worry…” has been repeated thrice in the last stanza.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /o/ and /a/ in “A campesino looked at the air / And told me” the sound of /o/ and /e/ in “How would your family / feel if they had to tell” and the sound of /o/ in “Death by drowning has honor.”
- Alliteration: The poem shows the use of alliteration in the shape of initial consonant sounds of the neighboring words such as the sound of /h/ in “he holds” and the sound of /h/ in “his hat.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /d/ and /h/ in “Death by drowning has honor” and the sound of /s/ and /m/ in “to suffer a mango smashing / Your skull.”
- 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;
If you are going out
beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful
sweet things.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Cruz has used imagery in this poem such as “With hurricanes it’s not the wind / or the noise or the water”, “If the wind picked you up / and slammed you” and “The campesino takes off his hat.”
- Metaphor: The poem shows the use of metaphors such as the wind, water and noise have been compared with things that cause discomfort or death.
- Personification: The poem shows the use of personifications of wind, water, and noise as if they have life and emotion of their own. He even personifies mangoes but implicitly.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of symbols of natural forces such as water, wind, and hurricanes.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Problems with Hurricanes”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows the use of modern descriptive diction. The tone is serious and sober.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem with each having a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Problems with Hurricanes” are appropriate to quote delivering a lecture about the simple things that can cause disrupt life and its mission.
Don’t worry about the noise
Don’t worry about the water
Don’t worry about the wind—
If you are going out
beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful
sweet things.
