The Poet X é um romance de ficção realista escrito em versos. Trata-se de Xiomara Batista, de 15 anos, uma talentosa poetisa que mora com a família no Harlem, NY. O romance é do ponto de vista de Xiomara e parece seu diário pessoal de poesia descrevendo sua vida, seus pontos de vista sobre religião, ter que enfrentar o sexismo constante, seus pais dominicanos rígidos, seu novo namorado proibido e navegar pelo mundo como uma jovem de cor tentando encontrar sua voz.
Peça aos alunos que identifiquem e descrevam exemplos de linguagem figurada em O Poeta X de Elizabeth Acevedo
Texto do 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 . . ."