Il poeta X è un romanzo di finzione realistico scritto in versi. Si tratta della quindicenne Xiomara Batista, una poetessa di talento che vive con la sua famiglia ad Harlem, New York. Il romanzo è dal punto di vista di Xiomara e si legge come il suo diario personale di poesie che descrive la sua vita, le sue opinioni sulla religione, il dover affrontare il sessismo costante, i suoi severi genitori dominicani, il suo nuovo fidanzato proibito e la navigazione nel mondo da giovane donna di colore cercando di trovare la sua voce.
Chiedi agli studenti di identificare e descrivere esempi di linguaggio figurativo in The Poet X di Elizabeth Acevedo
Testo Storyboard
THE HOLY BIBLE
METAPHOR: THE TWINS ARE A WHISTLE AND A HURRICANE
METAPHOR: POETRY IS A LIGHT
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IMAGERY: MAMÍ ON THE SUBWAY
Xiomara says Twin was born a soft whistle while she was born a hurricane. Her brother is quiet and meek, unable to stand up for or fight for himself. Xiomara on the contrary is steadfast in her opinions and does the fighting for both of them. Ever since they were little, Xiomara stood up to anyone who disrespected either of them using her words and her fists.
“My brother was birthed a soft whistle: quiet, barely stirring the air, a gentle sound. But I was born all the hurricane he needed to lift -and drop- those that hurt him to the ground”
Xiomara writes that poetry is lantern glowing in the dark. She compares her ability to write about her emotions and experiences through poetry as if it were a light in the darkness, showing the way, opening her up to be true to herself, to make friends, to take risks, and to be open to opportunities.
"It has brought me the most light. And isn't that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark"
Xiomara depicts a very sympathetic view of her mother when she describes how hard her mother works scrubbing buildings in Queens and, exhausted, rides the subway two hours on multiple trains to get home. Xiomara respects how hard her mother works and the many sacrifices she makes for her family despite their differences and their contentious relationship.
"Mami works . . . rides two trains in the early morning . . . her hands never stop moving . . ."