ONE TODAY

“One Today” is a poem by Richard Blanco. It was written and read as the inaugural poem for President Obama's second swearing in ceremony on January 21, 2013. I chose this poem because it takes me back to the dream I brought with me when I came as a sojourner many years ago and decided to stay in this country. Also, it reminded me of the struggles I have faced as well as the satisfactions I have experienced.
Click here to read and/or listen to "One Today" by Richard Blanco.

This poem's language is easy to understand. It is written in epic form and prose form, and is not too long. It has 69 lines that compose a total of 9 stanzas. The perfect use of punctuation gives this poem a touch of gracefulness and formality that makes the sentences flow from one to another, giving the reader clarity and an urgency to keep reading. 

The poet takes us to different sights in each stanza and the pause after each stanza allows us to transition into different scenes. For instance, in his first stanza, the writer references the sea, mountains, plain lands, lakes and hills of this beautiful country. The second and third stanzas describe hectic journeys and illustrate the different duties and responsibilities performed on daily routines in a busy city morning. The fourth and fifth stanzas refer to the sweaty, hard work of many in the fields, farms, and once again, cities. The sixth stanza illustrates a friendly and unified community.  In the seventh stanza, the poet describes a connection between one side of the country and the other. He also makes mention of the people in uniforms that ensure our freedom and well-being. The last two stanzas highlight the efforts and determination in accomplishing our daily journeys, in addition to praising those around us.  

 In “One Today,” Blanco's persona speaks to us. Through this poem, he makes an emotional connection to his readers by sharing his own experiences from his upbringing.  He highlights the hard work and teachings of his mother in stanzas 2 and 6: “Ring up groceries as my mother did for twenty years, so I could write this poem for all of us today,” and “Buenos días in the language my mother taught me,” respectively. He also mentions the sacrifice of his father in stanza 4: “Hands as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane so my brother and I could have books and shoes.” In addition, he intentionally addresses diversity by using multilingual versions of “Hello” to include the whole world in this piece.  By disclosing the struggles and background of his upbringing, Blanco helps readers from different backgrounds and social status to identify with him. I personally relate to this lyric-narrative poem. Like many others that come from abroad, I have worked hard to better myself and to help my daughters attain an education that will support them in accomplishing great success.

The voice of this poem helps us to easily create an image in our minds of happy and successful journey, since that many of us are living on a daily basis what the poet is illustrating in this lyric-narrative poem. The poem’s word pictures transport us to a land of prosperity and equality under a sunny sky that belongs to all.  The expression of light in some of the stanzas, like “One light, waking up rooftops" (1), and “The one light we move through, one light breathing color” (3), makes me feel faith and hope for the future because of the brightness and colorfulness it brings to my thoughts.

THE CREATION OF ADAM

The Creation of Adam  by Michelangelo Buonarroti  is one of the most famous paintings in the world.
This well-known fresco was painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in 1511. It measures around 480 x 230 centimeters. The Creation of Adam is one of nine images that adorn the central axis of the ceiling that illustrates important scenes from the Book of Genesis.

As part of one of my assignments for this lab, I will provide a visual description of this piece of art.

In The Creation of Adam, we see two main characters on opposite sides of this fresco. Imagine a rectangular landscape layout. One nude man, who represents Adam, is on the lower left-hand corner lying on what appears to be the top of a hill, while the other man, who represents God, is on the upper right-hand side floating in the sky. This second one is dressed with a pale white tunic and is surrounded by secondary characters that appear to be angels. All the angels are naked. There is a red cloth behind God and the angels. A green scarf hangs beneath God. The background of the painting is white. Adam has short blond hair. God has long white hair and beard, and looks much older than Adam. The hill where Adam is positioned is also green and has a thick blue edge. God and all of the angels except for one are facing Adam, who is looking back at them.

We can see a symmetrical line from Adam’s left arm extending to God’s right hand.  Their hands are reaching towards each other, and God’s index finger is almost touching Adam’s. There is a triangular shape on the hill where Adam is laying. The cloth behind God and the angels has an oval shape. The focal point of this work of art is believed to be in the intentional contact between the fingers of God and those of Adam. God is hugging one of the angels next to him with his right arm. All the angels seem to be holding God. There is one supporting God from underneath.

Resources:

rome.info

artbible.info

Bienvenidos to my blog!

My name is Rocio Diaz; I was raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I came to live in the United States about 23 years ago. I have lived in Goshen since August of 2004. In 2008, I became a Goshen College employee, and as one of my benefits I became a student as well. My exposure to visual and verbal arts has been very limited throughout my life. In taking this course, I anticipate learning how to appreciate art in all its forms.

 I have created this blog for my online Humanities: Literature and Art Lab as part of my assignment. Ann Hostetler, professor of English and chair department at Goshen College (GC) is our instructor. Professor Hostetler states on the syllabus that the Humanities: Literature and Art class/lab was designed as an interdisciplinary team-taught course that explores the arts as modes of inquiry into human experience. I look forward to sharing our thoughts and ideas about the literature and art pieces we will be appreciating and analyzing throughout this online class.