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.

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.

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition:  Measure the focusing characteristics of (an eye) or of the eyes of (someone)

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Found in “Discovering Colors in Prison” by Nancy Miller Gomez, “ The colors we keep caged, a stubborn brightness / refracted off betrayal, and hate” Line 20-21

The definition of refracted helped me understand the meaning of the sentence in the poem. Refraction is the bending of light or sound as it passes through something like a wall (sound) or a window (light). But I didn’t knew refracted had another meaning of the word and now it made more sense rereading with the definition.

Refracted

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition:  Measure the focusing characteristics of (an eye) or of the eyes of (someone) 

Source: Oxford Dictionary

Found in Line 20-21 of Discovering Colors in Prison by Nancy Miller Gomez : “ The colors we keep caged, a stubborn brightness / refracted off betrayal, and hate”

The definition of the word refracted helped me understand what was being said in lines 20 and 21. My interpretation was that these people were being stereotyped.