Once you know what to look for in a poem―and how poets use the tools of poetry, you can figure out what a poem means to say, all on your own. Like “A Blur,” the next poem you’ll read was written by a Peace Corps volunteer about the experience of living in another country and culture. The person who wrote this poem was stationed in Nicaragua, a country in Central America.
The poem’s title is “Nicaraguita,” which looks a lot like the word Nicaragua. If you speak Spanish, you may know that the suffix -ito or -ita means “little” or “dear” and, when added to another word, is often a sign of affection. (If you adore your little sister, you might call her hermanita instead ofhermana.) The title of this poem is a made-up word that means “my dear Nicaragua.” Listen to the poem and read along, looking for clues to the poem’s meaning.
Nicaraguita
Oh Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!
That girl at the bar said you have no culture,
but I know
culture is not something you see in colorful cloth or folk dances
but something you taste, like the dust that lines your mouth
in April before the rains start,
like the ash baked into tortillas
and those small strawberries that come down
from the mountain once a year.
And culture is something you smell
like the elote blackening in the street,
the red and black paint drying on telephone poles
and the trash burning outside.
It’s something you hear
like the cars with the speakers tied on top, announcing a funeral,
the sound of a plump mango falling from the tree
and every adios as you walk by.
It’s something you feel
like the warm hand of a stranger, inviting you in,
the bumps on the road, as you pass by the mountains
and the ache of your heart, once you’ve left.
Samantha Austin
Use what you’ve learned about poetry in this lesson to interpret the meaning of this poem and to analyze how the poet creates meaning. Answer each question about the poem.
Nicaraguita
Oh Nicaragua, Nicaraguita!
That girl at the bar said you have no culture,
but I know
culture is not something you see in colorful cloth or folk dances
but something you taste, like the dust that lines your mouth
in April before the rains start,
like the ash baked into tortillas
and those small strawberries that come down
from the mountain once a year.
And culture is something you smell
like the elote blackening in the street,
the red and black paint drying on telephone poles
and the trash burning outside.
It’s something you hear
like the cars with the speakers tied on top, announcing a funeral,
the sound of a plump mango falling from the tree
and every adios as you walk by.
It’s something you feel
like the warm hand of a stranger, inviting you in,
the bumps on the road, as you pass by the mountains
and the ache of your heart, once you’ve left.
Samantha Austin
Why is “but I know” all by itself on one line?
- to create a scene
- to cause confusion
- to emphasize a point
This short line tells readers that the poem’s speaker really knows what she’s talking about―much more than “that girl at the bar.”
This short line tells readers that the poem’s speaker really knows what she’s talking about―much more than “that girl at the bar.”
This short line tells readers that the poem’s speaker really knows what she’s talking about―much more than “that girl at the bar.”
This poem includes several examples of a different kind of comparison, instead of a metaphor. What is this figure of speech called?
- syntax
- simile
- synonym
Similes use the word like to make comparisons.
Similes use the word like to make comparisons.
Similes use the word like to make comparisons.
What is the purpose of the poem’s third stanza? What do all of its details have in common?
- Its details explain the poem’s title.
- Its details explain what culture is.
- Its details explain what culture is not.
The details in the third stanza are provided to contrast with the details in the second stanza (colorful clothes and folk dances). The third stanza describes what culture really is.
The details in the third stanza are provided to contrast with the details in the second stanza (colorful clothes and folk dances). The third stanza describes what culture really is.
The details in the third stanza are provided to contrast with the details in the second stanza (colorful clothes and folk dances). The third stanza describes what culture really is.
Why does “that girl at the bar” think that Nicaragua has no culture?
- She hasn’t seen an official costume or dance.
- She asked several local people about it.
- She has researched the country in depth.
The poem’s fourth line suggests that the girl at the bar hasn’t “looked” closely enough at Nicaragua. She was only looking for the most obvious signs of culture, which may actually be less authentic.
The poem’s fourth line suggests that the girl at the bar hasn’t “looked” closely enough at Nicaragua. She was only looking for the most obvious signs of culture, which may actually be less authentic.
The poem’s fourth line suggests that the girl at the bar hasn’t “looked” closely enough at Nicaragua. She was only looking for the most obvious signs of culture, which may actually be less authentic.
According to this poem’s speaker, which sense should you NOT rely on to recognize culture?
- sight
- sound
- smell
All of the poem’s details that do represent culture not things you can see.
All of the poem’s details that do represent culture not things you can see.
All of the poem’s details that do represent culture not things you can see.
Why does the poet use the word adios instead of goodbye in the 5th stanza?
- to remind readers of their own countries
- to help readers imagine Nicaragua
- to make readers feel left out of the scene
Adios is what someone would actually hear on the street in Nicaragua―not goodbye.
Adios is what someone would actually hear on the street in Nicaragua―not goodbye.
Adios is what someone would actually hear on the street in Nicaragua―not goodbye.
These words in the 4th stanza have the same vowel sound: blackening, black, and trash. What effect does it have to use one of these words in each of three lines?
- It holds the lines together.
- It makes the lines sound silly.
- It completely separates the lines.
Repeating a sound in multiple lines suggests that the meaning of all three lines is similar or connected. All of these lines describe things you might smell in Nicaragua, probably all at once.
Repeating a sound in multiple lines suggests that the meaning of all three lines is similar or connected. All of these lines describe things you might smell in Nicaragua, probably all at once.
Repeating a sound in multiple lines suggests that the meaning of all three lines is similar or connected. All of these lines describe things you might smell in Nicaragua, probably all at once.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
