Mora, Pat. MY OWN TRUE NAME: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, 1984-1999. Houston: Pinata Books, 2000. ISBN 1558852921.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
My Own True Name is a collection of poems, some published previously, and others presented here for the first time. The lyrical poems are selected with young-adult readers in mind, and were written between 1984 and 1999. They give glimpses into the life of the Mexican American family – the struggles, joys, and daily life of those whose ancestors recently made a new country their home. My Own True Name gives voice to the experiences of many Mexican American families.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this collection of Pat Mora’s work, many readers will wonder if all these poems are about her personal family and experiences. Based on the title of the volume, one might guess yes, but in the introduction, “Dear Fellow Writer,” she does not address this question. She does, however, give writing tips to those who would follow in her footsteps and become writers. Her suggestions are concrete, letting the reader in on “the secrets” of being a writer, and her encouragement is warm and genuine.
Many of the poems are immediately engaging. Some are more difficult to understand and are more suited to the high school reader who will enjoy them with guidance in getting into the poems. Titles are integral to the comprehension of many of them - the meanings of some poems may be cloudy until attention is paid to the title. Students who are bilingual and from families who recently immigrated (in the last generation or two) to the United States will undoubtedly recognize themselves, their parents, and their grandparents in the words of these poems. Those who are not from bilingual families will gain a better understanding of what it is like to immigrate to a new country and struggle with language and cultural issues. One of my favorite poems is “Elena” which is told from the point of view of a 40-year-old mother who is working to understand English so that she can communicate with her children who attend American high schools and no longer sit and converse with each other in Spanish. Through Mora’s words, it is easy to feel the fear and frustration of this mother who desperately wants to speak English well and is embarrassed that she cannot.
Mora uses footnotes for Spanish words or phrases which need translating. Four poems are printed side-by-side on a two-page spread with the English version on one side and the Spanish version on the other. Did Mora originally write the poems in Spanish and then translate them to English, or the other way around? No notes are included to answer these questions. A nice organizational technique she uses for the volume was the parts of a cactus – blooms, thorns, and roots – grouping poems in these categories according to the theme of each poem: joy and love, issues and concerns, and family respectively.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA): “Mora celebrates her rich bilingual heritage, deep love for her desert environment, and passion for language--both English and Spanish. Mora's lyrical voice rings clear and true.”
*School Library Journal: “This anthology speaks to a young adult audience, and it should find many readers.”
*Booklist: “The rich, symbolic imagery, raw emotion, and honesty will appeal to mature teens, and young writers will find inspiration in the warm introduction addressed to "Dear Fellow Writer," and its challenge to ‘Listen to your inside self, your private voice . . . explore the wonder of being alive.’”
5. CONNECTIONS
• Use Mora’s poems as models for writing lyric poetry.
• Using the cactus metaphor of blooms, thorns, and roots, find other poems that fall into these categories. Create a new metaphor and use it to categorize poems students write throughout the year. By placing the metaphor on a bulletin board, students can post their personal poems as a way to self-publish and share their work.
• Use the poems as starting places for journal entries. Students who are moved by particular poems can write about their personal experiences.
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