Pat Mora is an Hispanic-American author. She was born in El Paso, Texas in 1942. While growing up, Mora attended Catholic schools, although her religion is described as “Ecumenical.” (Gale n.p.). She was raised in a bi-lingual family, and her works have been written in Spanish and English. Mora has received many accolades for her writing of children’s literature, which speaks to young Hispanics. Her poem, “Gentle Communion,” reflects her Hispanic heritage, and Catholic upbringing.
One cannot discern by reading the poem, if the persona is male or female. Since the author is female, further gender description, when referring to the narrator, will be feminine.
The narrator’s tone is spiritual, remorseful, and nostalgic. She speaks of her Mamande, or grandmother (Saunders n.p.). We learn from the very beginning that the grandmother is now “long dead,” but is ever present, even during the speaker’s waking hours (Mora 1-4). This is the “spiritual” tone of the poem. The writer experiences the presence of the grandmother throughout her day.
“Remorseful” is another sound of the poem. The persona regrets not having asked the grandmother about her youth when she was still alive (6-7). She wants to know about “her red/ hair, the time she fell and broke her nose/ in the snow (Mora 7-9). Now, however, the grandmother cannot hear her (5), and the questions go unanswered (9).
Lastly, the tone is nostalgic. The narrator relates, “Sometimes I sit in her wide-armed/ chair as I once sat in her lap” (Mora 23-24). She recalls from her childhood, the taste of the peeled grapes that her grandmother fed to her (26). Mora’s Catholic upbringing is evidenced in the lines, “ places the luminous coolness on my tongue. / I know not to bite or chew. I wait ” (Mora 27-29). This is symbolic of the placing of the wafer on one’s tongue while receiving the Eucharist. Thus the title, “Gentle Communion.”
Besides symbolism (as mentioned above), metaphors, similes, assonance, and even enjambment can be seen in Mora’s poem. It is her use of such devices that bring the poem to life. The first example of metaphor can be found in lines 17-18: “as her hair dries white, girlish/ around her head and shoulders” (Mora). The second example is reflected in the words “presses her hands together, /her patient flesh steeple” (Mora 19-20). Yet another instance is in the final line, referring to the peeled grapes as “our private green honey” (Mora 31).
Simile is defined as using words such as “like” or “as” to compare images to one another. Mora uses simile in the lines, “She closes her eyes, ., /and like a child presses her hands together/, ” and, “the skin/ worn, like the pages of her prayer book” (Mora 19-22).
Assonance the use of similar vowel sounds in words which are placed together in close proximity. This is reflected in the lines, “ fell and broke her nose/ in the snow. I will never know” (Mora 9-10). “Broke,” “nose,” “snow,” and “know” are examples of assonance.
There are several examples of enjambment in the poem. The first and most obvious is that in the lines mentioned above: “ red/hair, the time she fell and broke her nose/ in the snow. I will never know.” There is no punctuation following the line that ends with “red.” It flows into the next line that starts with “hair.” Additionally, the line ending in the word “nose,” continues into the next, with the word “in.” Any punctuation in the lines is found in the middle of line 9. The period comes after the word “snow.”
Mora’s poem “Gentle Communion” is sweet and reflective. It is a story of lost heritage and unlearned lessons. She reminds the reader that while ancestors (parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents) are still alive, it is important to take the time to speak to them and learn from them while they are still able to hear us.
Works Cited
Gale, Thomas. “Something About the Author: Mora, Pat 1942-.” 2008. Encyclopedia.com. Web. 9 May, 2016.
Mora, Pat. “Gentle Communion.” 1991. zephyr.nsysu.edu.tw/student/eprc/works.pdf. Web.9 May, 2016.
Saunders, Joshua. “An Analysis of Pat Mora’s Poetry.”2014. Introduction to Literature LIT 2000. Web. 9 May 2016.
