“Exiles” by Juan Felipe Herrera, begins with an epigraph by Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch, an explanation for his most famous painting, “The Scream”; he was on walk when the sunset turned red “and [he] heard an unending scream from nature.” How does this epigraph relate to Herrera’s poem?
What do you make of the title, “Exiles”? How is it a representative theme for the poem?
Is there a storyline? If so, describe. If not, what is the poem about?
Point to two specific examples of literary devices from your handout of terms.
Now, read “Borderbus” by Herrera. How does Spanish function in the poem? Examine his word choice.
Is there a storyline? A persona? Or what is the poem about?
What do the details in the poem indicate about the subject and theme?
Compare and contrast “Borderbus” also by Juan Felipe Herrera, with “Exiles”.
Do you see any of Juan Felipe Herrera’s biography reflected in either poem?
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