Literary Analysis Essay: Victor Hernández Cruz's "Two Guitars"
Read Victor Hernández Cruz’s poem "Two Guitars" carefully. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how Hernández Cruz uses literary elements and techniques to convey a complex portrayal of the guitars’ musical world. Your response should:
- Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.
- Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
- Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
- Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
Group 1
Analyze how Hernández Cruz uses literary elements and techniques to convey a complex portrayal of the guitars’ musical world.
Source 1.1
Two Guitars
Two guitars were left in a room all alone They sat on different corners of the parlor In this solitude they started talking to each other My strings are tight and full of tears Line 5 The man who plays me has no heart I have seen it leave out of his mouth I have seen it melt out of his eyes It dives into the pores of the earth When they squeeze me tight I bring Down the angels who live off the chorus The trios singing loosen organs With melodious screwdrivers Sentiment comes off the hinges Because a song is a mountain put into Words and landscape is the feeling that Enters something so big in the harmony We are always in danger of blowing up With passion
The other guitar: In 1944 New York When the Trio Los Panchos¹ started With Mexican & Puerto Rican birds² I am the one that one of them held Tight like a woman Their throats gardenia³ gardens An airport for dreams I've been in theaters and cabarets I played in an apartment on 102nd street After a baptism pregnant with women The men flirted and were offered Chicken soup Echoes came out of hallways as if from caves Someone is opening the door now The two guitars hushed and there was a Resonance in the air like what is left by The last chord of a bolero.⁴
Victor Hernández Cruz, "Two Guitars" from Maraca: New and Selected Poems, 1965-2000. Copyright © 2001 by Victor Hernández Cruz. Reprinted with the permission of Coffee House Press. www.coffeehousepress.org.
Source 1.2
1: a musical group that specializes in boleros and other romantic ballads 2: guitars 3: a type of plant known for its striking flowers 4: a genre of romantic music that originated in Cuba and has been popular throughout the Americas; common themes include unrequited love, betrayal, and abandonment
Footnotes from Victor Hernández Cruz, "Two Guitars" from Maraca: New and Selected Poems, 1965-2000.
Question 1a
In a well-written essay, analyze how Hernández Cruz uses literary elements and techniques to convey a complex portrayal of the guitars’ musical world. Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation. Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning. Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
Teach with AI superpowers
Why teachers love Class Companion
Import assignments to get started in no time.
Create your own rubric to customize the AI feedback to your liking.
Overrule the AI feedback if a student disputes.