Literary Analysis Of Benjamin Alire Saenz's To The Desert

Poetry is an expression of a writer 's inner thoughts and underlying affection. Composing a sonnet is all about expressing your inner empathy and challenging your readers to dig deeper into the true meaning of writing. How a poet grows up and the experience he or she has faced in their lifetime is the foundation of their poetry. Benjamin Alire Saenz grew up in New Mexico and was a priest for a few years in his life. His poem To the Desert, has a deeper meaning than what is actually being portrayed. Some readers may assume that it is only about living in the desert and adapting to the environment itself. However, that is not quite the case with this solid piece of writing. Throughout the composition of the poem, metaphors, allusions, theme,

The purpose of Saenz using metaphors in this poem is to allow the reader to understand the spiritual thoughts of the speaker. Meaning it is used to show that the speaker has a yearning for god. For example it says, “You are thirst and thirst is all I know” (Saenz, 691). It is easy to think that the speaker is referring to his biological thirst for water. However, what is actually being expressed is the speaker’s “thirst” for a connection with god. Saenz’s word choice in his metaphors is a satisfying technique used by many poets in today’s literary world. It seems as if Saenz chooses words that can be portrayed and have two different meanings thus it requires readers to dig deeper into the underlying message. In the poem it says, “I was born for you, above, below, by you, by you surrounded” (lines 9-10, 691). The word choice of that metaphor is showing that the speaker is speaking to god and is showing a physical side and his desire for god in his life. Without Saenz using metaphors, it would not be easy for readers to relate and understand as to what his true meaning of the poem

If we have experienced it first hand, it tends to influence our writing in a positive factor. With that being said, we and our reader’s are able to reveal as to why we chose that topic or that underlying message within the sonnet. Benjamin Alire Saenz grew up on a farm in Mesilla, New Mexico. Growing up, he spent majority of his life living in New Mexico. After adventuring out and leaving his native home, he moved to Texas and was a priest for a few years. Knowing that Saenz grew up in the hot desert of New Mexico and his history with a religious role in a church, it gave him inspiration to write this poem. Individuals that enjoy reading his literary work have an understanding about why he chose the desert and the message being about having a spiritual connection and desire for god. After understanding and getting to know the author a little bit better, it helps a high school individual like myself perceive the prominent poem in terms of a poetry