Poem Analysis - Yesterday

Overall Impression and Tone

Jimmy Santiago Baca's "Yesterday" is a deeply personal and evocative poem that oscillates between moments of joy and profound longing. The poem begins with a vivid, almost childlike joy, capturing a moment of pure happiness in nature. However, it quickly shifts to a tone of melancholy and reflection, as the speaker recalls a past love and the sacrifices made for that love. The poem's tone is intimate and confessional, inviting the reader into the speaker's most private thoughts and emotions.

Themes of Love, Sacrifice, and Nature

The poem explores several interconnected themes. The most prominent is love, particularly the enduring nature of love and the sacrifices it demands. The speaker's desire to write a poem for his beloved, even after they have parted ways, underscores the depth of his feelings. The theme of sacrifice is closely tied to love, as the speaker compares himself to a male mallard protecting his mate from hunters, willing to risk his own life for her safety. Lastly, the theme of nature is pervasive, with the natural world serving as a backdrop and metaphor for the speaker's emotions. The river, the trees, and the birds all play symbolic roles in the poem.

Imagery and Symbolism

The poem is rich in vivid imagery and symbolism. The river and the trees are imbued with a sense of mystery and magic, representing the speaker's connection to the natural world and his beloved. The mallards symbolize the speaker and his lover, with the male mallard's protective behavior mirroring the speaker's own actions. The white crane is a powerful symbol of grace and resilience, its flight pattern evoking the curve of the speaker's beloved's spine and the ascent of their love. The crane's struggle to find balance and grace can be seen as a metaphor for the speaker's own journey towards self-belief and emotional equilibrium.

Nature as a Reflection of Emotions

The natural world in the poem serves as a reflection of the speaker's emotions. The sunshine and the blue dancers beneath the trees represent a time of joy and connection, while the gray and snowy day reflects the speaker's current state of longing and separation. The hunters and the rifles symbolize the threats and challenges that the speaker and his beloved have faced, both individually and as a couple. The blue cold artic air in which the speaker's body becomes air, signifies the vast, almost unbridgeable distance between him and his beloved, as well as the cold, lonely feeling of separation.

Conclusion

In "Yesterday," Jimmy Santiago Baca weaves a tapestry of love, sacrifice, and nature, using vivid imagery and symbolism to explore the depths of human emotion. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of love and the sacrifices it demands, as well as the healing and inspirational power of nature. Through the speaker's reflections on his past experiences and emotions, Baca invites the reader to contemplate their own journeys of love, loss, and self-discovery. The poem ultimately offers a profound insight into the human condition, reminding us of the beauty and pain that coexist in our lives.