This document discusses using poetry to explore cultural identity. It provides objectives for using poetry to boost self-esteem and understand issues like identity crisis and racism. It outlines literary elements to look for in poems, such as rhythm, metaphor, imagery and theme. Examples of identity-related poems are provided along with definitions of terms used in the poems like "Chicano" and "Aztec." The document aims to show how poetry can be used to discover and express one's cultural identity.

1. Cultural Identity in Poetry
Aiden Yeh, PhD
Wenzao Ursuline College of
Language

2. Objectives
• Use poetry in boosting self-esteem, to
discover and understand ourselves
• To look at these issues that we deal in our
lives: sexuality, identity crisis, peer-
pressure, racism and sometimes a lack of
self-worth

3. 5Ws in Poetry
• Who is speaking in the poem?
• What is the subject of the poem?
• When did this take place?
• Where did this take place?
• Why did this happen (if applicable)?

4. Elements in Poetry
• Rhythm- uniform or patterned beat or melody
• Metaphor-symbol or something to represent
something else
• Imagery-figurative description or illustration
• Personification-
representation of a thing in the form of a person
• Theme- topic
• Tone- expressive of some meaning or feeling
• Narrative- tells a story
• Descriptive- describes something
• Autobiography-
a written history of your life written by you

5. http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/identity-of-i/

6. • Chicano- of Mexican
descent
• Thrive- to grow
• Vatos- Mexican slang for
man/dude (gangster
lingo)
• Calles- Street
• Aztec- ethnic groups of
central Mexico
• Savages- cruel/barbaric
• Aggression- to attack
• La raza- the race/people
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/culture-forgotten/

7. • Slaughter
• Importation
• Proliferation
• Biased
• Domination
• Racist
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-hide/

8. http://www.poemsabout.com/culture/page-11/

9. http://www.poemsabout.com/culture/page-12/

10. http://www.poemsabout.com/culture/page-14/

11. http://rebelliouspoets.blogspot.tw/2012/05/discussing-and-writing-about-taiwans.html

12. http://rebelliouspoets.blogspot.tw/2012/05/taiwan-bar-none.html

13. http://rebelliouspoets.blogspot.tw/2012/05/remember.html

14. http://rebelliouspoets.blogspot.tw/2012/05/i-3-tw.html

15. http://rebelliouspoets.blogspot.tw/2012/05/china.html

16. References
• http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/200
• http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/199
• http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/identity-of-i
/
• http://www.lakes.cumbria.sch.uk/index/english