Analysis of "Making a Fist"

“Making a Fist” by Naomi Shihab Nye

This is a poem that reminded me a lot of the poem we read in class, "Where I Am From". They both talked about a feeling and a scenario that related to how they grew up and what kind of life they lived. The poem is very heavy and dark, as it talks about death and how she faced discrimination. I think I am a part of this intended audience. However, I would not just open a poetry website and start reading poetry. Yet, I do think the intended audience is to spread awareness about diversity and issues that as an American citizen, I do not have to deal with. The text is talking about how she felt she was on the verge of death, yet she uses the analogy that she was able to close her fist and therefore she was not dead. Readers can take away the troubles she faced being in Mexico, and seemingly not being free. The speaker of the text seems to be the author recounting her experience of crossing the border and trying to gain freedom. However, the author was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, so I am not quite sure if this story is an experience that Naomi would have gone through. The main message that keeps surfacing as I reread this poem is that the author is trying to spread awareness of the difficulties that American's often do not experience.