Lecture 5: Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
Reflections on Jimmy Santiago Baca’s Martin & Meditations on the South Valley

By now you’ve read the first volume of Baca’s long narrative poem. You watched Martin search, pray, fall in love, build a home, and make a commitment to his son, never to abandon him. Martin seems to be riding a wave of success, all the more remarkable considering his harsh beginnings. The second part of the narrative, “Meditations on the South Valley,” begins with the shock of tragedy: “Disbelief/numbed me,” Martin reflects at the beginning of this new section. Fire destroys all he has built and, most important to him, his writing, the poems written over the last ten years, his entire creative work. The fire, he says, is “the end/of all the cities and peoples/I had become” (54). In the face of such a loss, how will he respond? Will he be crushed? Or will he “give birth” again, rebuilding and “rewriting” a self and a new life?

As the title of this section suggests, in this part of the book Martin reflects on his new, chosen home, the South Valley, where “the white dove of my mind flies,/searching for news of life” (55). Notice what he sees, “la gente del Southside,” the people who “give nothing away/except what one sees” (56). Pay attention to the metaphors and images he uses to convey a powerful sense of who they are and what their world is like. Why, for example, does he use the image of the “green jungly growths” to describe their world, where he goes in order “to become one of them”? (56) Let the images work on you, and reflect on the values he reveals as he shares with us what he loves, and what he despises.

At this point, you may enjoy reading some of his poetry aloud or listening to the poetry. Visit Baca’s website and check some of the links in order to hear him reading his poetry. Get together with another student or friend and read one of Baca’s poems. Let your interpretation of the poem be revealed through your expression. In other words, if you feel part of the poem is angry, use an angry tone.  Consider the following elements when reading poetry aloud:

Rhythm: the pattern of sounds (or beats)

Rate: the speed of delivery

Tone or mood: the emotion or feeling expressed

Volume: loud or soft

Gesture: physical or facial expressions

Since poetry was originally an oral art and its richness involves voice and expression, I believe reading aloud or listening helps readers appreciate (and understand) poetry. If you have a chance to read some of the poetry aloud or listen to Baca read, send me a brief response to the experience in order to receive extra credit.  You may also enjoy attending a poetry reading or checking out a video on poetry from your library.

To find out more about the poet himself, again check the website listed above. Or see one of the suggested additional readings (see reading schedule). Reading about Baca or reading what he has to say about his creative process will enrich your experience of his work.

After reading, reflect on the cumulative experience of the two poems in this volume: what have they left you with? What images were most striking? What have they revealed about this man’s life, about human nature, about what’s important to him?