AnalysisofMexicobyRichardShelton

by:AlexHarrington
Section#51
RobertMatteJr.
WordCount:1079


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Dreamshavesuchanimportanceinone'slifeyetmostnevergettolivethosedreams.
Now,dreamsshouldnotbeequatedwithgoals.Eventhoughdreamscanbecomegoals,they
haveahigherimportanceinone'slifeinaspecialway.Goalsareimportantbecausetheyare
usuallymoreachievableandtakepeopleplaceswhichisunlikemostdreams.In
Mexico
by
RichardShelton,thisthemeisexploredandonefacingissuessimilartotheauthorcanrelate
withhimsowell.Byusingsymbolsandgorgeousimagery,Sheltondescribeshisdreamforlove
andhisinabilitytoescapefromhiscurrentlifestyle.
Tostartitoff,thepoemingeneralisdescribingadreamhehasandwantstoachieveso
bad.Specifically,thisdreamistofindlovebutonecannotbeonehundredpercentcertainon
whatexactlytypeofloveheissearchingfor.Although,Sheltonisforsuredescribinghisdream
offindingloveinthesouthwestorwithapartner.ByreadingalittlebackgroundonShelton,itis
clearhelovestheSouthwestanditsbeauty.ManyofhispoemsseemtorelatetotheSouthwest
andthewayhedescribeshislove,isfullofpassion.Fromjustlittledetailssuchasthenamesof
mountainstothegenerallandscapeheistrulyinlovewithitall.Also,Sheltonhasspentalotof
timeintheSouthwestandMexicoandbecauseofthesereasonsheisveryfamiliarwiththeir
content.Thisleadsonetothinkthishastobeapoemmentioninghisloveforthesouthwestbut
specifically,Mexico.Although,theonlyproblemisthathedoesnotspendtoomuchtimeon
imageryfordescriptionsofthedesert.Inline16,SheltonsayseverythingIneediswaitingfor
me/southofhereinanothercountry.Thisquotereferstothesouthingeneralandcanbeargued
thatthisifforhistrueloveofthesouthwestbutitcanalsobearguedanotherway.Thisother
wayisthesearchfortheloveonehaswithapartnerwhichcanbesupportedbythepreviously
mentionedquotethusmakingeverythingIneedbecomethewantofapartnerandnotjustlove


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ofMexicoandthesouthwest.Now,inline29,SheltonsaysIneverfindwhatIamlookingfor/
andeachtimeIreturnolder/withmyuglinessintact.Thiscompletelychangeshowoneshould
viewthethemeofthepoem.Hementionsheislookingforsomethingagain,butthenstartsto
describehowheisagingandhowheviewshimself.BysayingandeachtimeIreturnolderthe
authorbringsinthefactheisrunningoutoftimewhichshouldnotbeaproblemifhejustwants
toliveinMexico.Itisaproblemifheislookingforapartnerbecauseitcanbeagreedage
makesitharderforonetofindapartnerduetovariousreasons.Thenhesays,withmyugliness
intactwhichisaselfimageissueandshouldnotworrytheauthoratallifheisjustdescribing
hisloveforMexico.Instead,itcomesbacktothesimilarthemeofagebecausehispossible
unattractivenessbecomesaproblemwhenfindingapartner.Therefore,thispoemisShelton
describinghissearchforapartnerandthehardestpartofbeingabletofindlovewherehewants.
Otherthanlove,theauthor'sdescriptionofhisinabilitytoescapehislifestyleandhowit
holdshimbackfromloveisthesecondlargestthemeortopicexpressed.Again,some
backgroundoftheauthorbenefitsonesunderstandingofthepoemsignificantly.Theauthor
oftenreferstobeingAnglo,whichisessentiallyaswhiteandnonhispanicasonecanbe
classified.ItistohavefamilyessentiallyallfromEnglishdescentandofteniscomparedtonot
beinghispanic.SheltonissoupsetwiththisfactandevencallshimselfaGringo,aslangtermfor
Spanishspeakersthatgenerallymeansnothispanicanditisrelativelydemeaning.Withthis
informationandreallyclearcutsymbolism,theauthorportrayshisinabilitytofindlovein
Mexico.ThismajorsymbolismcomesupwhenSheltonbringsintheconstellationScorpioin
linenine.Hesays,IsimplylookupandseeScorpio/themostdangerousoffriends.Thispart
ofthepoembringsinGreekmythologybecauseScorpioisafigureinseveralGreekmyths.One


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ofthesemythstellsastoryofhowthegodApollowasangeredbyhowOrionwascharminghis
twinsisterArtemisanddescribinghowmuchbettershewasthanhim.So,outofangerApollo
sentascorpiontoattackandmurderOrion,whichwassuccessful.Outofsympathy,Artemis
askedZeustoplaceOrionamongstthestarsbuteverytimeOriongoestohuntheischasedaway
bythescorpion,Scorpio.ThismythreflectsSheltonsinabilitytostayinMexicoandfindhis
love.SheltonisOrionandArtemisisthelovehehasbeendreamingof.Theonlyproblemishis
AngloselfisbeingchasedbacktohishomebyScorpio.Inotherwords,Scorpioishisinability
tohandletheconditionsofMexico.Inlines29and32whenSheltonsays,IneverfindwhatI
amlookingforbutwiththeknowledgethatifitisn'tthere/inthedarknessunderScorpio/it
isn'tanywherehesupportsthistheme.Backgroundknowledgemaybeneededtomakethe
connectionsmuchmoreefficientlybutitstillreflectstheclearlypresentinability.WhenShelton
saysinthedarknessunderScorpio,theworddarknessiskeybecausedarknessinhibitsone's
abilitytosee.Inthiscase,ScorpioisinhibitingSheltonsinabilitytoseehisloveorinother
words,tofindhislovebecauseheisbeingchasedawayjustlikeOrion.
Altogether,SheltonusesimageryofMexicoandtheconstellationofOrionasasymbolto
expresshisthemesofthesearchforapartnerandhisinabilitytobeabletosearch.Also,allof
thisisadreamhesbeenafterformanyyearssinceaccordingtothepoem,inlineone,hetriesto
searchonceeachyear.Heisunsuccessfulbutkeepsthedreamalivebecausethesouth,
especiallyMexico,isimportanttohimandhewantstolivehislifeoutwithsomeonethere
alongsidehim.


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MexicobyRichardShelton
Onceeachyear
AfterawarmdayinApril
Whendarknesscomestothedesert
Uninvitedbutplanningtospendthenight
Somethinghitsmelikeashovel
AndIamstunnedintobelieving
Anythingispossible

Thereisnooverturetofrenzy
IsimplylookupandseeScorpio
Mostdangerousoffriends
Withthelasttwostarsinhistail
Blinkinglikelightsatarailroadcrossing
Whileinoneclawheholdsthetop
OfamountaininMexico

AndsuddenlyIknow
EverythingIneediswaitingforme
Southofhereinanothercountry
AndIhavebeenwalkingthroughempty
Roomsandtalkingtofurniture

ThenIsaytomyself
WhywouldIstayhomeandlistentoBach
Suchprecisioncouldhavehappened
Toanyonetoaninfinitenumberofmonkeyswithharpsichords

AndnextmorningIstartsouth
Withmylastchancesflappingtheirwings
Whilebirdsofpassagestreamoverme
Intheoppositedirection

IneverfindwhatIamlookingfor
AndeachtimeIreturnolder
Withmyuglinessintact
Butwiththeknowledgethatifitisntthere
InthedarknessunderScorpio
Itisntanywhere