Conformity in Chaos: American Life as Portrayed in "Exiles" Mihika Sathe 11th Grade

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, there is a greater awareness of social injustices. Although war, disasters, and oppression are prevalent throughout the world, there is still human resilience in the face of struggle. Former United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera uses his poetry as a way to highlight the human spirit in the face of adversity and “is an activist poet who has always challenged oppression, creating not polemics but a heartfelt aesthetic of social injustice” (Hoffert 22). Poignant and harrowing, Herrera’s poetry touches on the American reality rather than the American Dream. His works deal with complex, modern themes such as belonging, morality, and “self and survival in a world marked by rapid flux” (Nash 162). Herrera’s free-verse poem “Exiles” from his book Exiles of Desire certainly embodies these themes. “Exiles” begins by describing the hardships of immigrants coming to America, but soon shifts its focus to American citizens whose sheltered lives are a stark contrast to the dangerous conditions immigrants face every day. Through vivid imagery, juxtaposition, and other literary devices, the speaker in “Exiles” presents two different interpretations of what it means to be American: the...