I Was My Own Route
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| Julia de Burgos (1914-1953) |
About the Poet
· Born in California, Puerto Rico
· Moved to New York, where she worked as a journalist
· Moved to Cuba, where she pursued further studies at the university of Havana
· Returning to New York after two years in Cuba, de Burgos, a freedom fighter, served as the art and culture editor for the progressive newspaper Pueblos Hispanos.
Central Idea
A precursor to the contemporary Latino writers, de Burgos, in her poem, “I Was My Own Route” depicts how the women are burdened with the patriarchal ideologies from the past. Therefore, de Burgos urges the women to detach themselves from the past so as to locate their identity within.
Summary of the poem
The poem entitled “I Was My Own Route” has been composed by Julia de Burgos who evokes emotion on the part of the women to be detached themselves from the patriarchal norms and values imposed upon women from the history. Depicting how the women are burdened with the patriarchal ideologies, she encouraged women to reject limitations and boundaries created by male mind.
The poem written in free verse on the theme of women liberation artistically portrays the speaker’s attempt to be the woman like men wanted her to be and her rejection of patriarchy afterwards. She comes across various obstacles on her new paths to freedom and the magnificent world of women identity. She neither feels tired nor gets back. Instead, she keeps on moving forward to kiss the ultimate truth of new paths.
Rejecting patriarchal ideologies, she feels intimate liberation in her new choice of female autonomy. Her struggle and new voice was to uproot age-old cultural restrictions to women in a male dominated world.
To sum up, the speaker in the poem is a feminist militant who evokes emotion on the part of the women to raise voice against patriarchy for establishing women’s real identity. She shares her feelings of living like a woman as the man requires her to be and enjoying liberty to urge females to fight for freedom.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions
a. Why did the speaker try to be the way men wanted her to be?
The speaker tried to be the way men wanted her to be because she was living in a patriarchal society. A female member’s duty is to fulfill the gender role as determined by the men in a male headed society. She wanted to be a well-accepted woman by performing the established social role. She tried to follow the social norms and values as a woman born and grown in a patriarchal society.
b. What do you understand by her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’?
By her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’ I understand her determination to fight for female autonomy. Moving forwards means to kiss the new paths. Here ‘new paths’ refers to the struggle for women liberation. She did not want to give up the hope of liberty. She dared to challenge the male constructed social rules which hindered female liberation. Once she decided to reject male control over her life, she did not break her promise to kiss the new paths of freedom.
c. Who are the old guards? Why did they grow desperate?
The old guards are social norms and values that exploit women. To be specific, they are age-old gender roles constructed by men. They are well established social rules which exploit women. The old guards are the obstacles to her new paths of women liberty and autonomy that she has to come across. They grew desperate because the speaker challenged them by choosing the path to women liberation. She disobeyed the tradition designed to support patriarchy. She challenged the male constructed gender roles and established her own philosophy of freedom and autonomy.
d. How did the speaker have ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’?
The speaker had ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’ because she was sure that her struggle against patriarchy maintained the balance between her life and the truth of the kiss of the new path. ‘A feeling of intimate liberation’ means a balanced lifestyle that every human being, by nature, deserves by birth. Such model of life has been modified by human as per their wish. For her, rejecting male domination doesn’t necessarily mean polluting society. She didn’t want to create violence and invite conflict between men and women. She struggled for intimate liberation that was comfortable for both men and women.
e. Why did the speaker’s desire to follow men warp in her?
The speaker’s desire to follow men warped in her because she had strong determination to challenge male domination. She had hatred on patriarchy and had chosen new paths to women liberation. She tried her to be a woman as the men wanted her to be, but she couldn’t as she was made of ‘nows’. Now, she is enjoying freedom. She is happy and satisfied. By nature, she was different from other traditional women who accepted male constructed gender roles in male dominated world.
Reference to the context
a. What does the speaker mean when she says she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being?
By hide and seek, the speaker means sometimes revealing her inner desire to enjoy liberty and sometimes making attempt to be like the one as the men wanted her to be. First, she tries to be the way men wanted her to be and second, she chose the new paths to freedom. She rejected male constructed gender role. The abstract idea of her struggle for women liberation is compared with the familiar game of hide and seek to evoke emotion concerning female identity in a patriarchal society.
b. Why, in your view, was her back ripped by the old guards as she was advancing forward?
In my view, her back was ripped by the old guards as she was advancing forward because deeply rooted patriarchal norms and values stood as the high wall to her new paths to liberation. She came across various obstacles while she was advocating for female autonomy. Rejecting male constructed limitations and boundaries was not an easy task. She surely had to go through a difficult situation.
c. What, according to the speaker, did it feel like to be free?
According to the speaker, to be free, she felt like herself a blossom of all the soils of the earth. But the blossom was grown up and flourished of the soils without history and future. It means she also is suspicious about the sustainability of her new paths. It is because there are roots of the old guards that hamper her new paths to women liberation to flourish forever.
d. Why does the speaker prefer the present to the past?
The speaker prefers the present to the past because she is enjoying her carefree present life, devoid of patriarchal boundaries and limitations. Her past life was confined within the four walls of male constructed norms and values. But now, she is in the wider world of liberty and freedom. There is no terrible smell of exploitation and domination. For her, the present gives the feelings of intimate liberation that surged from the balance between her life and the truth of the kiss of the new paths.
e. John Donne, in his poem “No Man is an Island”, says, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Would Burgos agree with Donne? Do you agree with Donne or Burgos?
‘No man is an Island’ is poem composed by metaphysical poet John Donne. He says, in the poem, “No man is an island entire of itself” meaning no man is complete himself or no man can live in isolation. It evokes the idea of interdependency among human and between male and female. For him, every individual is an essential element of whole humanity. Thus, co-existence, cooperation and togetherness between men and women are emphasized in this poem.
Burgos would not agree with Done as she encouraged women to be separated from men. Her main argument is to revolt against patriarchy. She rejected male constructed norms and values which help sustain relation between men and women.
I, to some extent, agree with Donne as he advocate for fraternity and togetherness. An island can stand on its own but humanity is different from natural entity. Balanced relation between male and female is must for human existence. But, some norms and values of patriarchy require modification that ensures gender equity.
Reference beyond the text
a. Write an essay on ‘My Idea of Freedom’
Freedom is a concept that has been revered and fought for throughout human history. It is the ability to live one's life according to one's own desires and values, free from the constraints of external forces. For me, freedom is about having the ability to make choices and to live life on my own terms.
To me, freedom means having the ability to think and speak freely without fear of reprisal. It means being able to express my opinions, beliefs, and values without being silenced or punished. The freedom of expression is essential to the functioning of a healthy society, as it allows individuals to share their thoughts and ideas and contribute to the collective discourse.
Additionally, freedom means having the right to privacy and control over one's own body. It means being able to make decisions about one's own health and well-being, and having the ability to consent to or refuse certain actions. This freedom is essential to maintaining one's own autonomy and dignity.
Another aspect of freedom is the ability to pursue one's own goals and dreams. This means having the opportunity to receive an education, to work, and to create a life that is fulfilling and meaningful. It also means having the right to choose one's own career path and to freely pursue one's passions and interests.
Overall, freedom is a multifaceted concept that encompasses many different aspects of life. It is the foundation upon which a healthy and thriving society is built, and it is something that every individual deserves to enjoy.
Finally, freedom means having the right to participate in the political process and to have a say in the decisions that affect one's life. This includes the right to vote and to have a voice in the democratic process. My idea of freedom crosses the border of gender roles and cultural barriers. Freedom and one’s identity are closely connected. For this, one must dare to challenge traditional norms and values that defines one’s gender roles and identity.
