Janice Mirikatani is the poet Laureate of San Francisco and a really complete poet. Equally good as being a poet Mirikatani is besides a choreographer, an decision maker, and a community militant. Most of her poesy trades with the after daze of World War II, and other violent and traumatic events. Her verse forms are meant to floor the reader, but with a specific intent.
One such verse form is “ Suicide Note ” written in 1987. This verse form was written about a female Asian-American college pupil ’ s self-destruction note which was left after she leapt from her day of reckoning window. The miss ’ s organic structure ballad in the snow, undiscovered for two yearss. As a pupil my reader response to “ Suicide Note ” was really familiar and hit close to place.
The verse form begins with an apology to her parents for non being what they wanted. The pupil is stating how really difficult she worked, and even harder for them, but still was non good plenty. She so wishes she were something else, a boy, something they could hold been proud of. She imagines her life as a boy. She thinks if she were a boy she could hold become all the things they wanted her to be. She believes had she been a male child she would be populating a happy life doing her parents proud.
I think many pupil ’ s parents force them and seek and determine them into something they can non, or do non desire to be. Many pupils start out in a certain major because that is what their parents want them to make. Many pupils feel they may ne’er populate up to their parents standers, while others end up resenting their parents for all the force per unit area that is put on them. This is one of the grounds this verse form is so effectual it identifies with these feelings and created a really strong message.
The pupil goes on to apologise for the undertakings which were non easy for her. She says each “ failure, disapproval, and letdown ” was another “ glacier, a boot print ” that finally became excessively much for her to manage. These letdowns were besides the ground she continued to work so hard. It was ne’er for herself but ever to seek and do her parents proud.
The reiterating stanza which begins in the 3rd line of the verse form is representative of the feelings of self-destruction, and the feelings of lower status that we all feel but may non voice. These stanzas are her parents voice which finally becomes her unconscious head stating her over and over that she is “ non good enough. ” Each poetry that follows is herself specifying why she believes she is non good plenty.
As this verse form is stoping the pupil is “ sillied and dizzied ” by her life. She is giving her ego, her adult females goon, which is so delicate like that of a wing of a bird. The pupil is doing her window her alter in which to offer herself. She believes by offering her ego as a repentance she will be get awaying all her hurting. The snow burdens her wings, merely as her parents burdend her with their outlooks. The snow covers her organic structure “ like susurrations of sorries. ” The pupil is so overwrought and depressed that the lone pick is to kill herself. She feels like her broken organic structure and scattered ashes will talk the things she ne’er could state.
Janice Mirikitani ’ s words in this verse form are sad and her message is blunt. This verse form has a manner of agitating it ’ s reader into hearing address and action. “ Suicide Note ” illustrates an persons need to be themselves, every bit good as parents instinctual nature to desire the best for their kids, and how both of these things go wholly incorrect.
