Good Example Of Critical Thinking On Sotos Dirt

The narrator of the poem is a field worker with scarce education. He addresses himself to his brother, who is also working the soil, and states the importance of the human transformation of nature. This shocks and makes the intended reader uncomfortable, as it would be a cultured and mainly academic and reasonable person.
There is no discernable story in “Dirt”: it is more about the exposition of an idea and the happiness that this makes the narrator feel. While one could track the development of the main theme throughout the poem and locate the climax in the expression of gladness that the narrator feels, the poem is more interested in the idea itself and the impact that it may cause on the listener, highlighted by the roughness and unrefined place where the action takes place. Thus, Soto relies on the setting to relay his message: the action happens in a plowing field, where two brothers are working. Using many literary devices, he emphasizes the particularity of this contact with nature so that the reader may understand and be persuaded by his argument.
The natural imagery that this poem employs accentuates the poem’s theme of artisan against academic knowledge and experience. Soto immerses the reader in the setting by constantly describing the details of the fieldwork process: “The sun comes up angry. The wind bullies us from behind” (4), “dirty face” (7), “slaughter two more plants” (11), etc. Soto looks to influence the cultured, academic reader into believing that natural work is also very important and dotes the person with intelligence.
Soto uses colloquial language and an almost list-like flow to reinforce this theme. For example, “I got me two sandwiches to eat. How ‘bout you?” (12) and “shut up” (13) both emphasize the vulgarity of the characters and theme. Furthermore, short phrases like “I chop my beets, keep my mouth closed” (20) give the poem a quick rhythm, with ideas that constantly and choppily flow, giving the poem a simple sound.