Part of speech- noun
Def-Â a person, especially an American, who is not Hispanic or Latino.
Source-oxford dictionary
Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri
Searching this word up helped me understand the poem better because the stanza made no sense to me before.
Noun
Definition: greedy or excessive indulgence
Source: Merriam Webster
Found in Franny Choi’s poem “Choi Jeong Min”
Knowing this definition helped me understand the deeper meaning behind those two lines. I also saw a little sarcasm behind it. In a way she’s unapologetic for her greed and the way this new place made her. But she will deny what makes her and wash away her identity.
Part Of Speech- noun
Definition: Habitual greed or excess in eating.
Found in Choi Jeong Min by Franny Choi
Knowing that the word gluttony means greed it helps connect the two stanza when she said” I confess.i am greedy: if someone  has looked……” basically  with using the term gluttony  she saying she is greedy , she shouldn’t have to change who she is , everyone has to see her for who she is.
Part Of Speech- verb
Definition: Give a new name to.
Source: Dictionary.com
Found in Choi Jeong Min by Franny Choi
knowing the definition of the verb rechristening , it’s help me get a clearer picture of what the speaker is trying to say about her father. She implying that as a Asian person, once they move somewhere , they have to change their Asian name to an American name cause people can’t pronounce it and even she wanted to change her name.
Verb
Definition: to secure tightly: Bind
Source: Merriam Webster
Found in Elizabeth Acevedo’s “Hair” poem
Knowing the definition of trusses gave me a better understanding of the begin part of the poem. It showed the comparison of the African cousins on the ship and painted a picture of what they looked like and how they possibly felt. They were bind together, they stuck together and didn’t let anything tear them apart. that could tell they were together and it also helped me understand the question if they would know that their great grand children would look like us, meaning denying their naturalness.
When I think about spoken word poetry I envision someone speaking about their own truth. And how they feel about what is a reality to them. I believe spoken word poetry has more dept, and creates more of a genuine connection because the topics are often about the speaker’s observation or reality. Even if you may not agree to what the speaker is saying there is still a message and it wants and needs to be heard.
I do not think I have enough courage to perform a spoken word poetry because based on my observation about spoken word there is always a message. I think it will be hard for me to channel into my deeper emotions and put it on display. And I don’t believe I have an important enough message or point of view that I wish to bring to light. Spoken word poetry is heavily based on being passionate and that’s a trait as of right now I don’t think I have. But I do enjoy experiencing spoken word poetry like Pedro Pietri’s Puerto Rican Obituary and the film Louder than a Bomb(2011). The two bodies of works were very inspiring and it made me think about my own experiences because I was born from another country and I am a person of color. And those are some topics that were strongly focused upon in the two bodies of works.
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: A gap in one’s memory.
Source: Merrian-Webster
Found in “Hair” by , “mean is we’re the best at swallowing amnesia, in a cup of [Spanish], dreaming because we’d rather do that than live in this reality” Line 12-13
The definition of the word amnesia made me understand the overall of the sentence. When the writer said “swallowing amnesia” basically flash backing the memories but rather than facing the truth of the life and move on. So makes the character keep on living in a dream rather than the reality.
Part of speech : Verb
Definition: is to show suppressed anger, hate, or jealousy
Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary
Found In “Choi Jeong Min” by Franny Choi, “boneless rumor smoldering behind the curtain
& speaking through an ink-stained puppet? Line 13-14
By rereading the sentence with the definition made more sense because it is most likely describing the feeling or emotions towards of an object.
Part of Speech : Noun
Definition: Excess eating or Drinking
Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary
Found in  ”Choi Jeong Min” by Franny Choi, “land where they stuff our throats with soil
& accuse us of gluttony when we learn to swallow it” Line 34-35
The definition of the word Gluttony helped me more to understand the meaning of the line. Also, by looking the word synonyms helped me more why actually gluttony was used in the sentence.
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: An artistic work, especially one on a large scale
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Found in ”Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath, “I am your opus / I am your valuable, / The pure gold baby” Line 67-69
The definition of the opus helped me understand the lines. I believe she referring herself to an art work and how meaningful and worth she is and how art work also a valuable connections between them.
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