BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Soto, Gary. 2006. A FIRE IN MY HANDS: REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION. Orlando: Harcourt.
SUMMARY
A FIRE IN MY HANDS is a collection of poetry inspired by the everyday events of Soto’s youth in California’s Central Valley. The poems are written from the perspective of a teenage boy, and each poem is a different subject. Some topics include rules for eating Mexican food, hitchhiking, and joining his mom while she sells Avon door-to-door.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto begins this collection of poetry with an introduction explaining his inspiration for writing poetry. He had assumed all poetry was “flowery writing,” but after reading the anthology of contemporary poetry called THE NEW AMERICAN POETRY, 1945-1960, Soto learned the diverse topics and styles of contemporary poetry. That collection inspired him to become a poet.
A FIRE IN MY HANDS is a collection of free verse poems about everyday things. While Soto writes from his personal experience as a Mexican-American growing up in California, young people of all backgrounds can relate to the topics he covers in this collection. His poetry is approachable, humorous and insightful. In this collection, Soto provides the reader with a brief note on the background of each poem. They are presented in a small gray bubble in the corner of the pages. For example, for the poem “How I Learned to Fly,” Soto writes: “Ít would be a trippy experience if we humans could fly, even if it were only in spurts. It would have helped me escape trouble when I was a boy.” These insights add background to each poem, and the reader gains understanding into the kind of boy Soto was growing up, and his perspective on it, now.
There are many examples of cultural markers throughout this collection, which adds to the authenticity of the work. First, Soto is writing most of these poems from personal experience, so this work is from an insider’s perspective. Other points to note include the discussion of food in one poem. In “Eating Mexican Food,” Soto shares his personal rules for eating traditional Mexican foods including tortillas, salsa, and posole soup. In addition, there are some instances of the use of Spanish within the text. In one poem, Soto describes his grandfather as he says “Keep things green, mi’jo.”
Overall, Soto’s collection of poetry is a fun read that would appeal to teen boys and girls. The topics are universal in many ways, though Soto certainly reveals his inner feelings and personal thoughts. For young students reluctant to read poetry, this collection is approachable and may inspire them to try their own hand at writing poetry.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
“These simple, free-verse selections skillfully capture that which is commonplace and transforms it into something mesmerizing and lovely.”—School Library Journal
“Half the poems are new to this expanded edition of a collection first published 15 years ago, including some great ones from Soto's adult books that speak about feeling stuck at home and growing up poor, Catholic, and Mexican American. Soto's chatty introduction about writing poetry that celebrates small, common things will appeal to both readers and writers, as will the informal questions and answers at the back of the book and the brief autobiographical notes Soto includes with each poem.”—Booklist
CONNECTIONS
***Encourage students to write poems in free verse about an everyday experience.
Soto, Gary. 2006. A FIRE IN MY HANDS: REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION. Orlando: Harcourt.
SUMMARY
A FIRE IN MY HANDS is a collection of poetry inspired by the everyday events of Soto’s youth in California’s Central Valley. The poems are written from the perspective of a teenage boy, and each poem is a different subject. Some topics include rules for eating Mexican food, hitchhiking, and joining his mom while she sells Avon door-to-door.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Soto begins this collection of poetry with an introduction explaining his inspiration for writing poetry. He had assumed all poetry was “flowery writing,” but after reading the anthology of contemporary poetry called THE NEW AMERICAN POETRY, 1945-1960, Soto learned the diverse topics and styles of contemporary poetry. That collection inspired him to become a poet.
A FIRE IN MY HANDS is a collection of free verse poems about everyday things. While Soto writes from his personal experience as a Mexican-American growing up in California, young people of all backgrounds can relate to the topics he covers in this collection. His poetry is approachable, humorous and insightful. In this collection, Soto provides the reader with a brief note on the background of each poem. They are presented in a small gray bubble in the corner of the pages. For example, for the poem “How I Learned to Fly,” Soto writes: “Ít would be a trippy experience if we humans could fly, even if it were only in spurts. It would have helped me escape trouble when I was a boy.” These insights add background to each poem, and the reader gains understanding into the kind of boy Soto was growing up, and his perspective on it, now.
There are many examples of cultural markers throughout this collection, which adds to the authenticity of the work. First, Soto is writing most of these poems from personal experience, so this work is from an insider’s perspective. Other points to note include the discussion of food in one poem. In “Eating Mexican Food,” Soto shares his personal rules for eating traditional Mexican foods including tortillas, salsa, and posole soup. In addition, there are some instances of the use of Spanish within the text. In one poem, Soto describes his grandfather as he says “Keep things green, mi’jo.”
Overall, Soto’s collection of poetry is a fun read that would appeal to teen boys and girls. The topics are universal in many ways, though Soto certainly reveals his inner feelings and personal thoughts. For young students reluctant to read poetry, this collection is approachable and may inspire them to try their own hand at writing poetry.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
“These simple, free-verse selections skillfully capture that which is commonplace and transforms it into something mesmerizing and lovely.”—School Library Journal
“Half the poems are new to this expanded edition of a collection first published 15 years ago, including some great ones from Soto's adult books that speak about feeling stuck at home and growing up poor, Catholic, and Mexican American. Soto's chatty introduction about writing poetry that celebrates small, common things will appeal to both readers and writers, as will the informal questions and answers at the back of the book and the brief autobiographical notes Soto includes with each poem.”—Booklist
CONNECTIONS
***Encourage students to write poems in free verse about an everyday experience.
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