The Events of a Hurricane and the Manner in the Poem Problems with Hurricanes by Victor Hernandes Cruz - Research Paper Example

IntroductionProblems with Hurricanes by Victor Hernandes Cruz relies on humorous fiction to elucidate a comic impact on the readers, as well as an amalgamation of reality and fiction in an effective way. The utilization of fantasy enables Cruz’s imagination with freedom and thus the realm of reality does not dictate his views and events and thus impossible becomes actuality. The poem revolves around events of a hurricane and the manner in which individuals are more afraid of the falling fruits than natural disasters.

DiscussionThe poet states that a death caused by drowning brings honor rather than passing away as a result of a mango smashing one’s head. By these words, Cruz argues that death by natural causes makes people to feel pity and heartbroken and in a way, it brings respect and admiration as opposed to death by ways other than natural whereby people tend to feel sorry but cannot help themselves but laugh at the deceased. This is the literary work’s main idea, whereby the poet emphasizes that when an individual dies, he/she should pass away with honor.

An example of such a death is dying in natural disasters like a Hurricane. In a sense, Cruz manages to connect the poem to his culture as he grew up in Puerto Rico where he probably experienced numerous Hurricane events. Spending his life in Puerto Rico, a region characterized by tropical climate implies there were fruits of many kinds and thus individuals were on the lookout for the flying mango as there would be no honor in dying as a result of an instance that a fruit hits an individual’s skull (Cruz 148).

In the Problems with Hurricanes, the poet develops a humorous tone even though he tackles a serious case of a hurricane, an event that causes numerous deaths and destruction. He creates humor by describing how individuals tend to be killed in natural disasters by mangoes, bananas, avocados, which fly like projectiles into towns. Although a lighthearted tone characterizes the poem, it can be viewed as an existentialist perspective. The poem tends to describe humans as helpless beings who are victims of nature and all its elements.

However, an individual is still capable of directing his own destiny without fear as the poem states “Don't worry about the noise/ Don't worry about the water/ Don't worry about the wind” (Cruz 148). Consequently, the poem reminds individuals of nature’s fury as an element without beauty in the lines “If you are going out/ beware of mangoes/ And all such beautiful/sweet things” (Cruz 148).The poem has various elements of irony, as it tends to elucidate a humorously sardonic tale of the hurricane.

As a hurricane is a natural event that causes havoc and destruction, an individual would expect a literary work associated with the event to be of a serious nature. The Problems with Hurricanes is ironic as the poet elucidates a meaning, which is the opposite of the actual meaning. One would expect for Cruz to state that hurricane events are the most deadly and not projectile fruits such as mangoes and avocados (Cruz 148). ConclusionThe poem is a literary work of pure quality and revolves around how humans ought to die.

It shows that there are ways that individuals can be appreciated through their deaths. Even though the humor characterizes the poem, Cruz’s comic eventually slows down by offering advice to societies that humans should quit complaining about the God’s act as communities always endure hard times Work CitedCruz, Victor H. Maraca: New & Selected Poems, 1966-2000. Minneapolis, MN: Coffee House Press, 2001. Print.