Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The Elements of San Joaquin: Sun, written by Gary Soto in 1993, is a heart-wrenching and emotive poem in which readers are taken on a journey of a migrant worker’s day under the harshness of the unforgiving sun. Soto’s use of specific motifs and stanza structure effectively expresses the intensity and unyielding strength of the California sun as it beats down on the laborer and his surrounding field. This poem encourages readers to gain an awareness of the harsh conditions of a migrant worker’s life and appreciate their determination and hard work to supply a better life for themselves and their families.

Explanation

In The Elements of San Joaquin: Sun, Soto takes us through the journey of a typical migrant worker’s day under the relentless heat of the Californian sun. In the first stanza, Soto uses intense imagery to paint a picture of the beating sun that is, “stalwart and bold all day long as it swings its beak from tree to tree”. This stanza speaks directly to the heat of the sun and its effect on the worker in the fields. Throughout the poem, Soto emphasizes the strength and power of the sun that is so pervasive that even its adversaries, “blades of steel”, are no match too “the bestial call of the sun today” which “blisters the hands of any professional”.

The second stanza speaks to the everyday occurrences of the workers, as they cultivate “blushes of lettuce and avocados” and “fill the forks of their wheelbarrows” in the beat of time and shade. The final stanza further builds on this, as the workers rest their “hoop hands” and their voices “become a quiet steam against the heat”. This conveys their exhaustion and lack of energy due to the extreme heat and arduous labor of their occupation. However, in a testament to these individuals’ hard work and optimism, the workers remain “smiling and content” despite their physical and mental exhaustion.

Poetic Elements:

• Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFF, AABB
• Structure: The poem is composed of five quatrains with an AABB rhyme scheme, and a final couplet with a rhyme scheme of AABB.
• Language: Descriptive language is used to give readers a detailed image of the labor, heat, and setting.
• Tone: The poem has a grim and solemn tone as it explores the difficult and unyielding labor of the workers beneath the ‘bestial’ sun.

Conclusion

In The Elements of San Joaquin: Sun, Gary Soto expresses the difficulty and labor of a migrant worker’s day under the strength of the Californian sun. Through vivid imagery and his masterful use of the quatrain structure, Soto effectively conveys the intensity and relentlessness of the sun and the human plight it inflicts on migrant laborers. He leaves readers with admiration and reverence for the determination of the workers who, despite their difficult and seemingly never-ending situations, continue to strive and provide a better life for themselves and their families.

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