three poems by Emma Garcia, issue 23

8/25/22: Into the Archives staff member Tracy Destefano on three poems by Emma
Garcia

While reading through Prism Review #23 last Thanksgiving break, the three poems by Emma Garcia  really caught my attention. I was especially intrigued because Emma Garcia was the spring 2021 undergraduate winner for poetry. In terms of craft, these three poems display admirable depth, imagination, vivid diction, and interesting sound work.

The concept of “When I Said I Hate You” displayed a complex relationship that made the reader want to know more about the situation the speaker is going through. The depth was achieved by the passionate vivid diction, for example “my veins are pulsing/ with boiling ice water,/frothing and roaring/ like the outskirts/ of a deranged hurricane.” The sound work influenced the rhythm of this poem. The alliteration of the “I” sound “impatience, indifference, ignorance… ” sped up the poem,
then slowed it down after the pause.

The strangeness and uniqueness of the poem “The Traveler” stood out to me. I admire the idea of comparing constant traveling or moving to fighting for a love that is one sided. The exhaustion will be overpowering, where you have no choice but to give up and rest. In the end, choosing yourself to be at peace with. The sensory details in this poem are very strong, “so I’ll leap mountains/ like hopscotch/ And glide over oceans/ like a skipping stone./ Then I wake and see/ I can’t reach you”. The repeated phrase “So I sleep with my arms straight out,” then it turns into “So instead I sleep with my arms tucked in,” creates a desperate tone, then becomes more
optimistic. I also found the vivid diction notable. Word choices like, “aerodynamic” and “stratosphere” stood out to me. These uniquely chosen words added to the theme of the poem.

Last but not least out of Emma Garcia’s collection of poems is “Dear Miss Garcia,”. This poem plays around with the shape of the poem. There is a lot of blank space and enjambment within the form that adds to the rhythm control of the poem. The imagination of this poem is very unique. The poem is a letter to oneself, expressing the want to befriend oneself. The depth and passion of this poem evoked a lot of emotion within the reader, for example, “so let me learn who you are/ all over again/ a person whose vocabulary of positives/ seem to describe/ you best”. The thoughtful choice of words added to the passionate tone, “I listened to your unvaulted thoughts/hidden under a white blanket/meeting you new each night”.  Along with the other two poems, the sound work for “Dear Miss Garcia,” was noteworthy. For example, the alliteration of the “C” sound in “I will not confuse/ your confidence/ in the company of narcissism”.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed these three poems by Emma Garcia. I would recommend anyone reading issue number twenty-three to take a look at pages sixty to sixty-four. These three poems display admirable depth, imagination, vivid diction, and interesting sound play. In terms of craft elements, Emma Garcia really knows how to utilize literary devices that evoke emotion within the reader.