Analysis of Literary Criticism about Oranges of Gary Soto - Essay Example

? of Gary Soto’s ‘Oranges’ Gary Soto’s ‘Oranges’ according to Julianne White, is a poem about feeling adolescence for the first time. It is an experience of a young boy who is discovering his passions through his love for a girl with whom he goes out for a walk on a cold December morning. The poetic language, rhyme scheme, and imagery are discussed with relation to the poet’s feelings at that time. She thinks that Soto has explained his experience not in a poetic form- rather as a short story. This is perhaps one of the reasons why young readers can associate their experiences of entering adolescence with the poet’s. In his narrative, the poet actually steps in adolescence when he buys something for her girl by taking a chance. He offers an orange and a nickel to the saleslady for the bar of chocolate that the girl chooses. This is a critical point in the life of the boy and the climax in the poem because it creates uncertainty whether the saleslady will accept it or not. Once his offer is accepted, the boy comes out of the superstore triumphantly and enjoys his time with the girl. Although his courage is impressive, the risk was also a safe and intelligent bet: If the saleslady had refused to honor his orange for payment, he would still have the two oranges to share with the girl on their way home. Either way, he proves himself and impresses the girl which was the goal in the first place, and he is rewarded for his bravery by being allowed to hold her hand on the walk home. (White, 123) The poem is divided into two parts- before and after going in the superstore. The tone of the poem and the attitude of the boy have drastically changed. The tension or coldness between them is replaced by warmth and the scenery transforms dramatically. “Someone might have thought/ I was making a fire in my hands.” (55-56) the poet’s wish has been granted and suddenly the dullness of December as signified by fog and old coats is brightened up with the oranges. The color of orange stands out sharply in contrast to gray December; in fact it even looks like fire. Fire is the antithesis of frost, which was mentioned in the first part of the poem. Frost and crackling ice represent the absence of emotions or passions; but by the end of the poem, the boy earned warmth which is represented by the color of the oranges. In the first part of the poem, when the boy is entering the superstore, he notices a “used car lot” (18) which represents emptiness and stillness. The emotional state of the boy is empty and still. This condition is transformed in the second part of the poem where “A few cars hissing past” (43) denote the movement or transition in the stage of life of the boy. He moves on in life without looking back at it with awkwardness, as he “finds a new sense of confidence and independence.”(White, 121) The poetic language used in the poem is simple and based on a trivial, everyday experience of a young boy. The language is also kept simple because it is stored in the memory of a person, when he was young- merely 12 years old. His memories are captured in a rather simple manner that makes it easy for the readers to compare or relate their experiences with his. Imagery and symbolism are used extensively by Soto to describe the entire scenery and situation. The boy recalls his vivid memories of walking for the first time with a girl. This shows how important it is for anyone at this age to feel love for the first time. The poet is aware of the external scenes and captures them in his memory- he is aware of all the sights and sounds of the gray December and slowly he starts noticing the various colors that light up his mood and his surroundings. The yellow light in the porch, the color of rouge on the cheeks of the girl, newly planted trees are some of the things that visually describe the scenery. Apart from this, sound imagery also brings to life the entire scene to the readers, as they read the phrases: Frost cracking; a dog barked; the tiny bell; and a few cars hissing. Thus pictorial and sound imagery weave together a romantic memory of a person of walking hand in hand with a girl when he was twelve. The poet has symbolically represented a lot of things, as discussed by White as well. The cold and dull December morning lacks warmth, which may also represent the sleeping passions and feelings of the boy. As the boy walks on towards the girl’s house, the frost cracks; which is just want he desires- to break the ice between him and the girl. It also creates an anticipation of change or transformation in the feelings of the boy. As he reaches her house, he notices the yellow light that burns day and night in her porch. This shows that he is even older memories than those described in the poem. He might have visited his girl or passes through her house many times before. An important aspect of this poem is that its entire setting is in the past. The present circumstances or any promises of the future do not form any part of it. The narration stands pure and untouched in past, untouched by the worries of the future. It is like a dream or dream like situation where the boy’s wish is fulfilled then and there. It is like a frozen moment in the memory of the boy that has retained all its images and sounds fresh as ever. In another critical analysis by Mark Shaheen, Soto’s Oranges are discussed in terms of its poetic language and the effect it has on the young minds of the readers. He also believes that Soto captures the attention of the young readers in such a way in this poem that they can relate to the feelings, emotions and experience of the boy. What the young readers want from contemporary poetry is “something fresh and original, none of this love stuff with red roses…” (Shaheen, 66) Poems like Oranges can bring out the creativity of the readers and they might be encouraged to write something on their own. The simple rhyme scheme makes the whole experience of feeling and being in love makes it comprehendible. “Contemporary poetry allows students to read the freshness of experience from those they can relate to, and models for them ways to encounter their own experiences with words, phrases, imagery, and metaphor that they can imitate”. (Shaheen, 66) Thus, Gary Soto’s Oranges have an immense appeal for the young readers as they can relate and describe their own experiences of growing up through remembering and cherishing interesting anecdotes of their childhood. Work Cited Shaheen, Mark. “Student as Magician: Assessing Poetry through Performance”. Language Arts Journal of Michigan. 11. 1. (1995). Print. White, Julianne. “Soto’s Oranges”. The Explicator. 63. 2. (2005). Print. Read More