Metaphor, Tone and Antithesis in “Legal Alien” Essay

Legal Alien, a collection from Chants, is a short freehanded versed poem written by Pat Mora. The poem explores the lives of Mexi mint-Ameri can buoys and the ethnical tension they have to face. The poet discusses a bi-cultural soulfulness whose pargonnts are from Mexico but the person was born and raised in America and is an American citizen by law. Although he can speak fluent English and Spanish, he still has a hard time universe current by twain or one flight. Moras use of poetic techniques such as metaphor, tang and antithesis emphasizes her concerns in regards to the issue.Mora uses metaphor to highlight how a bi-cultural individual feels like non being acknowledged by both races. a handy item ( telephone circuit 16) informs the readers that a bi-cultural individual is like a handy instrument that can easily slide from back to forth, from English to Spanish (vice-versa). The person can also adapt very quickly, quicker than those who has only one culture. among the frin ges of both worlds (line 18) notify the readers that although the loudspeakers race is Mexican and his nationality is American the speaker isnt fully accepted by both races. Mexicans lot the speaker as an alien (line 10) while American view him as exotic, inferior and definitely different (lines 9-10). In this situation, the speaker feels lost in both races thus having an identity crisis.Using bankers bill shapes the ideas of the poem and expresses the poets aggravation towards cultural tension. able to slip from, Hows life? to _Mestanvolviendo loca_(lines 2-3) this line informs the readers that while the speaker can speak both languages fluently she isnt accepted by both races entirely and the speaker is frustrated, this is evident when she utter _Mestanvolviendo loca_(line 3) this means they are driving me crazy in English. By rejoicing by masking the temper of being pre-judged Bi-laterally (lines 19-22) the speaker is unease and hapless because she is not accepted by bot hraces. The speaker smiles to conceal his discomfort of being pre-judged immediately without knowing him first. Mora capitalizes Bi-laterally (line 22) and adds a hyphen to break caution to the readers that the speaker is being judged by both of his heritage.Mora uses antithesis to make the readers more evocative of the opposition. Antitheses is almost visible in every line of the poem where the speaker is describing two different races, Mexican and American, side-by-side with each other but are complete opposites. Examples are Hows life? To _Mestanvolviendo loca_ (lines 2-3), Drafting memos in silent English, able to order in fluent Spanish at a Mexican restaurant (lines 5-7), Viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic, perhaps inferior, definitely different, viewed by Mexicans as alien (lines 9-11), An American to Mexicans/ A Mexican to Americans (lines 14- 15). These lines of antithesis draw attention to the cultural tension between Mexican and American in an individuals knowledge.Pa t Mora uses poetic techniques such as metaphor, tone and antithesis to show discomfort and frustration of fitting in and being accepted by both races. The readers is predicted to fathom that bi-cultural individuals dont have it so easy fitting in and being accepted by both races even though they can speak both languages, both of their race still dont accept them utterly. That leaves them having an identity crisis thus being called a legal alien, a person who belongs however is not entirely acknowledged by the community.