This Chapter 6 poem would make a very good fit for our final. What sticks out the most about it is how I think everyone can relate to the premise of the poem. In Soto’s poem, the 10 year old speaker characterizes himself (as many of us probably would have at that age) as a total badass; his pockets are filled with the assorted junk that a 10 year old gives value ( a couple of bottles of soda, some hair gel and a comb), his mischievous escapades include throwing random stuff at people and animals (none are safe from his reign of terror), his imagination runs amok with scenarios of disrespect and being a (relative) badass.
Reality comes crashing through in the form of his grandmother. She comes across him in the middle of all this in the last lines of the poem and says “Let me help you,” then punches him in the face (20-21). The irony here is the central theme of the poem: despite being a total rebel (loose usage here of the word rebel), the end result of his mischief is a knuckle sandwich from his disapproving grandmother. I’m sure you can see some resemblence between the speaker and yourself at 10 years old and also between the grandmother and someone in your childhood who had to knock some sense into you when you stepped out of line (or put your toe just a little too close).
I enjoyed this poem by Gary Soto as well. The punch by his grandma is what made the poem stand out. I recognize that many can relate to trying to fit that tough guy image but I doubt anyone can relate to being punched in the face by “their grandma” . I can’t even visualize that image. I question whether this poem will be fit for the final. In my opinion, it doesn’t stand out as a poem that Prof Rosen can use to elicit the many different responses/ interpretations we have to offer as with “My Papa’s Walt’s”.