Alberto Rios is a Latino poet who was born on September 18, 1952, in Nogales, Arizona to a Mexican father and English mother. He spent much of his youth crossing the fence which bordered Mexico and Arizona to visit his Mexican relatives. Many of his school friends were Mexicans who crossed the border daily to attend U.S. schools. Gowing up in a multicultural environment made him more open and accepting of those who are different. He developed a strong interest in poetry and creative writing at a young age and this interest continued in college, and he earned a BA and MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona. He holds numerous literary awards and was elected the Chancellor of the American Poets in 2014. He is currently a Professor of English at Arizona State University.
His Mexican heritage is incorporated into is work through storytelling and narratives. His expressive and lyrical poetry is lauded for its illustration of the American Southwest culture and specifically life on the Mexico-United States border. One of Rios’ most famous poems is The Border: A Double Sonnet. This title is a reflection of the border he often crossed in his childhood. The variable line scheme double sonnet represents the two periods of the border. The first period is the simple fence between two countries where friends met, “The border used to be an actual place, but now, it is the act of a thousand imaginations” (12). The second sonnet represents the change in border control after President Kennedy was assassinated,”The border is ‘NoNo’ The Clown, who can’t make anyone laugh” (20). Rios tells his story in verse using many literary devices but personification, imagery, and metaphors are the most pronounced in this particular piece of work.
Alberto Rios uses personification in this poem to bring it to life and make the border more tangible. Personification is a part of speech in which a thing, animal or an idea are given human qualities to make it more relatable. For example, “The border says stop to the wind, but the wind speaks another language and keeps going” clearly represents the freedom the people crossing the border had in the past (1). The border is the authorities, and the wind is the people crossing the border. Rios uses personification again but this time, the border is tougher. The authorities are not going to let anyone through the locked door, hence, “The border is a locked door that has been promoted” (21). He uses personification to emphasize its power with the success of promotion for a job well done. Personification contributes to the poem by allowing the border to take on human qualities. The reader can see the transition from a weak authority in the first sonnet to a more arrogant and powerful being in the second sonnet.
Another literary device Rios uses in his poem to get his message across to the reader is imagery. Almost every line in the double sonnet poem has imagery which is the use of figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas. The first sonnet is the border from Rios’ early childhood. The imagery begins with a gentle setting that slowly becomes more rigid and dark. The border is a line that birds cannot see implies that the line almost does not exist (1). It is there but not reinforced. The birds (people) can fly (cross) wherever and whenever they choose. However, Rios is drawing the reader’s attention to how ugly the border has become when he says “The border is a blood clot in the river’s vein,” but prior to this line it is hard to tell whether Rios views the border as a positive or negative aspect (6). The second sonnet almost stands alone with its dark imagery. There is no longer a jump rope left there for the next day of play, but in it’s place we find out that “The border is a location of the factory where lightning and thunder are made,” not a place for children to play (19). This image is frightening which is exactly what the poet is attempting to portray to the reader. He goes on to write, “The border has become Checkpoint Chale,” which creates an imagine and the horror of the Berlin Wall with barbered wire and armed soldiers (23). Imagery is an effective tool in this particular poem. It conveys the message of what the border once was and what it has become.
Rios uses literary devices to bring the border to life and to make the reader understand what the border represents. His use of metaphors appeals to the reader’s senses. For example, “ The border is mighty, but even the parting of the seas created a path, not a barrier” alludes that the border is now an obstacle rather than a resolution (25). Metaphors like these sharpen the reader’s imagination and makes it easier for the reader to understand the message the poet is attempting to communicate. Rios uses many metaphors throughout this poem so his readers can view the world a little differently than they did before.
The Border: A Double Sonnet connects to the real life experiences of the poet, his friends and his relatives. It is the border where the poet grew up, but the poem could represent any border in the world where people cannot freely cross to be with their relatives and friends. Although the poem has no political reference, it has a political bearing with the current U.S. election and the discussion of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico as well as the U.K’s recent exit from the European Union which was based mostly on immigration. I chose this poem because of its relevance to what is happening in current events, and I think anyone who reads the poem will be able to relate to Rios’ story.
Works Cited
Ellmann, Richard, and Robert O'Clair. The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. New York: Norton 1973. Print.
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Neil Irwin."http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/upshot/how-a-quest-by-elites-is-driving-brexit- and-trump.html?_r=0." (2. Jul. 2016): 1 Jul. 2016.
Rios, Alberto. A Small Story About the Sky., 2015. Print.
Ríos, Alberto. Capirotada: A Nogales Memoir. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1999 Print.
Rios, Alberto. “The Border: A Double Sonnet.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 1 July 2016.
Rios, Alberto. Whispering to Fool the Wind: Poems. New York: Sheep Meadow Press, 1982. Print.
www.enotes/topics/alberto-rios.Web.2.Jul.2016.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets//alberto-rios. Web. 2 Jul. 2016.
