Gary
Soto is a Mexican-American author and poet. He was born in 1952 and grew up in
Fresno, California. As a small boy, he worked in the fields in the San Joaquin
Valley. He went to Fresno City college and California State University at
Fresno. He got his MFA in 1976. He lives in northern California.
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Discussion:
“Saturday
at the Canal” is a narrative poem by Gary Soto. It has 21 lines and is free verse. It
seems to be about two teenage guys who are sitting on the bank of a canal and
wishing to travel to San Francisco, but never do.
Soto’s
chose as his speaker, not himself, but a high school student who’s not much
younger than you to get his message across. You relate to someone about your
age better, right?. It’s also first person (“I”) so it’s more immediate, like someone
talking to you.
Theme:
There are many obstacles in life, but if you focus on the positives, you will get what you want.
There are many obstacles in life, but if you focus on the positives, you will get what you want.
No
matter their class or place in society, all people dream of a better place.
(But, some dreams are not attainable.)
In
Soto’s poem, two guys are sitting by the canal dreaming of a better place.
Life
is boring or meaningless unless you make it fun and interesting).
Do
something! Athletics?? 4-H Club?? Sierra Club? Run for student body president?
Join the Glee Club?? Study, get great grades and get a scholarship to the U of
CA??!!
Imagery:
(Imagery is the use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas
with the use of the senses).
You can feel and see the same things that Soto is explaining. The “stank” part – students don’t care about keeping themselves clean or in studying.
You can feel and see the same things that Soto is explaining. The “stank” part – students don’t care about keeping themselves clean or in studying.
Metaphors:
·
A check mark in a roll book (person in school)
·
Post card of San Francisco (a dream – paper/ink -- to attain, not a
real place)
·
Hurling rocks (a pointless activity representing the pointless,
frustration of the guys)
Tone:
The
tone (particular way of sounding or attitude). There is a kind of hopeless
monotone. Life is monotonous??
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
What’s
the problem and why are the guys facing this or feeling this? (a kind of mystery)
The
guys wanted to get out of town. But, the years “froze” as if time slowed down.
It’s like young people who grow up in rural areas or small towns who want to
get out of town and go to the city. They can’t wait to graduate and get out of
the small town.
Works Cited:
Works Cited:
“Saturday
at the Canal Analysis”. Elite
Skills Classics. <http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/Saturday_At_The_Canal_by_Gary_Soto_analysis.php>
2007 and 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
According to his poetry, I felt this way before when I was in middle school. I always felt like I was stuck at home doing nothing especially having a home-made dinner with family every night. I attended public school by that time. I've imagined what I want to do with my future. I used to think that I can't wait to transfer to a deaf school with a better environment and society. So, I did and I thought of graduating and motivated on going to Gallaudet University. Here I go, enroll at Gallaudet University. I still have more adventures left to go. :)
ReplyDeleteYou should have lots of "adventures" here at Gallaudet. You could try an internship or a summer trip to another country.
DeleteThis poem can relate to anyone in many ways, to me it means to expand your expectations. To try something new everyday and to "think outside of the box". Being able to repeat the same things everyday is a simple and easy lifestyle which is perfectly fine but can be boring but to be able to let your thoughts drift off to another place once in a while.
ReplyDeleteSince I was a little girl, I always kept myself motivated. My number one motivation and goal is to be able to travel and my first stop will be Australia :) I don't have a specific reason or anything but to be able to travel and experience something new is what I'm looking forward to. I've always had my mind on the next big thing even if I haven't even reached my biggest goal yet, I already have another one in mind. It helps!!
My first husband was Australian and I've been to Australia, mostly Melbourne and Sydney. Bruce Peters (your academic advisor??) is from Australia. Have you talked with him??
DeleteThis poem reminds me the story of how my father used to live in Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico. He used to sit near the Rio de Grande and look toward the town of El Paso, Texas. He dreamed what life would be in America. He realized that if he kept doing what he is doing, the dream he dreamed won't achieve. So he had to take an action. He took the risk that could jeopardy his life when he and his family decided to swim across the Rio de Grande in order to get on America soil. My father had told me often that if he never took the risk in order to reach his dream, his life will be very different if he had stayed at where he is. He taught me a lesson that always take risk and see what that led you to.
ReplyDeleteYour family actually swam across the Rio de Grande?? Wow. How old were you and where did you go first when you got across?? It would be good to share this in class because so many of us read about this but it doesn't really register or is real to us.
DeleteYes he did. My dad swam across the Rio de Grande along with my late grandmother, my aunt and her by then husband. I was born in Colorado a decade later.
DeleteThis poem can impacted on me when I was in main steaming hearing school. I always felt like I was stuck at home because I just doing nothing, watching TV every weekend and didn't try something new everyday. I decided to thinking about something new life at every day. I attended the Deaf school at elementary school and high school by that time. My goal is to be able to join the experience basketball for Deaf Canada team and travel different of countries. Finally, I did travelled some countries including, Venezuela, Poland, Italy and Brazil. I am really able to more travel and new experience for me in my future, but I'm looking forward to reach my goal. That's what I want to be my dream.
ReplyDeleteWill you be going to the Deaf Olympics?
DeleteAs I read his story, I recalled my own experience. My friend is Deaf. He stayed in the hearing world, because his elder brother forced him to join it. I felt he did not know about the Deaf community and was stuck. My friends and I decided to get him to join the Deaf community. He comforts in it and finally fits in the Deaf community. He is so thankful for our support.
ReplyDeleteWe do need the deaf community and we can take pride in our beautiful sign language.
DeleteI have been in a lot of frustration myself with Cerebral palsy, like I can't walk right like normal people walk or write neat so that people can understand my writing or I can't do thing fast enough, taking a slow pace so when I look at myself I feel I am hiding in the dark dreaming what normal people are like without cerebral palsy....many people said no you look fine just the way i am. People think that I am special. So in the story feeling frozen is what I think of me as I go though hard times.
ReplyDeleteYou are fine, and pretty! You also have a lovely personality.....Everyone has a problem or will have a problem; often it's not visible, but it's there. So, you're not the only one. Yes, just go at a slow pace. Find something you are good at and you will be fine.
DeleteI liked this poem... Sometime you cant just sit around you have to go do things to make things possible. It will be possible if you believe in it and believe in yourself. For example, I always dreamed to be homecoming and prom queen since i was in elementary. I was involved in the school since i was in elementary and ended up becoming the homecoming queen and prom queen like I dreamed to be because I believed it will happen and believe in myself! so anyting can happen if you believe in it and believe in yourself! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you made it to be prom queen! I was MSD's Jr. Prom Queen in 1967 when the faculty voted for me. See my educational timeline for this incident. It was all very strange!! :)
DeleteI like to keep it in my mind for rest of life that I want to be success in the future. I know that I have a few problems and I can't do it alone unless someone helps me through the problem. It would be good. By the way, I missed those moment when I was homecoming queen for two years straight and I was a member of Jr. Nad and SBG. It changed me a lot. Now I involve in Deaf/Blind Club and Black Students Union at Gallaudet University.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story my heart have been shaken. Wanting to start the engine of Microsoft, Bill Gates made his decision to drop out from Harvard, thereby attaining his aim. Microsoft dominates the PC market with its operating; wishing to be a great inventor, Thomas Edison underwent a series of apparent failures, thereby realizing his dream, etc. So we should keep ourselves and always pursue something from our heart.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis poem is right. Life can be boring if I don't see out of there to have many opportunity. I always want to travel Europe since five years old. I think I will going to Europe this summer which my dream will be come true. We have to pursue our dream which we will arrive there. We have to take a small step to big step. For example, I always wanted to broken school record. I decided to work out and training through summer. My passion is coming true to broken school records. Chase your dream.
ReplyDeletethis poem reminds me of when i was a student at Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf, it is the school that nobody hear of. There is no challenge for me, I used to sit in the class and learn nothing because it was too easy for me. That's the main reason why I transferred to MSSD on my junior year to get myself face the challenge and to be success in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing poem for everyone to read. People who want to achieve theirs dream; they have to fight for it, never give up and prove themselves and people, that they can do anything to achieve theirs dream. One of the quote says, there are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've go to do to work harder to prove them wrong and able to achieve goals/dreams. This quote is one of my motivate to pursue positive and look the bright side. My priority goals were, to be happiness, graduate university and able to travel the world. :)
ReplyDelete"Saturday at the Canal" is an quite fascinating poem. I sometimes impacted that I got a lot of experience to learn from the different areas. I make up my minds to achieve success for my important life.
ReplyDeleteThis poetry make me thinking of my passion toward sports. It like I can't live without sports. I love to play to win the game. My dream is to play sports. I truly thankfully my grandfather, he have strong influence in me to play sports!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this poem and it made me thought how I really want so bad to make different in my life. Most time, I always want to travel over the world since I was little. I've always curious about different countries with cultures, foods, and natures. My life would be different now if I don't travel at all.
ReplyDeletethis poem is quite good impacting another's life also change their mindset into positive side. I kept hearing like those quotes before to inspire myself and soaring higher to high exceptions for my parents.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a small town and went to small deaf school, thank god for a great older sister whos been my role model. She travelled around in America and Europe and live in a big city, it made me motivate more for my future and education.
It is something you has to do right now and this moment you can seize for your future or short term goals.
I can relate to the narrater's desire to to be free from school work and explore what's out there. For example, when I was seventeen I was in my senior year of high school and if felt like the whole year just took forever to finish but at the same time flew right by.
ReplyDeleteIt is very great poem, but so simple that have many meanings. It makes me realized how much I think my life is boring at home, but I'm thankful that my parents is always there to make my life fun and encourage me to keep involved with community which it does makes your life more of a enjoyable life. Our family often don't travel to other places. I always want to traveling, but we don't have enough money to spend on others traveling, while we have to focus on economy and I really want to traveling, maybe when I become older, I will have adventures of my own. Time will come and when the time is right, be more involved in community.
ReplyDeleteThis poem have a good point. I can imaginary if I can do anything what I want. There will be nice to imaginary.
ReplyDeleteHis meaningful poem makes me think of how I always want to make the best out of my life, all of the decisions were on me. One thing is I don't normally expected the great things because disappointment is not pretty so I daydream instead.
ReplyDeleteit is really good poem, I used think that I can't do anything because I am Deaf and I was wrong. I finally have to believe in myself and think positive to make my dream comes true.
ReplyDeleteThis helps to the readers who read this poem because life isn't monotonous. There are many ways you can make it fun like an adventures. This is the life, you learn it from experience (LIFE). Go to a journey and there you will start to change your mind that life is interesting and different from where you usually are. I like this poem.
ReplyDelete