Pick 15 poems and write  a journal entry for each of the 15 poems. Each journal entry must be 250 word minimum.

Note: you should make sure to put the title of each poem and the writer on the top

1. 'Gospel: Juan'; Tracy K. Smith

The instant poem has been written from the point of view of illegal immigrants from Mexico who seek to enter the United States in the search of a better life as evident in the title of the poem and the fact that the poet visited the nation. The poem, while being short, is impactful and details the hardships which immigrants have to go through in order to reach the US without being apprehended, which is essentially the most invigorating aspect of the whole poem. Smith has captured the hardships immigrants have to go through by highlighting the nuances of the whole process such as using a straw broom to cover tracks to avoid detection by the border police, literally crawling through mud at points and carrying drugged meat to feed the dogs so as to avoid drawing their attention. However, while these aspects of illegal immigration reveal the dangers the perpetrators have to go through, the most poignant detail of the poem lies in the last stanza. In this verse, Smith opines on the fear in the hearts of the immigrants as they face the innumerable threats posed by the border police, making one wonder if they'll ever survive the ordeal and cross over safely. However, this verse can also be construed on a deeper level, i.e. the apprehension in the mind of the immigrant as to whether he will succeed in this new country and be able to 'stand up' to support himself in the years to come.

2. From 'My God, It's Full of Stars'; Tracy K. Smith

In this poem, Smith tackles the great fallacy in the human psyche, i.e., we are alone in this immeasurable universe and the entirety of its contents revolve around us. Smith's affliction with the vast nature of the universe is resplendent in the immediate poem penned down by her. From the poem it is evident that Smith is an ardent believer of the fact that the universe is inhabited by beings and energies which are far superior to our own, and owing to this we are unable to tangibly feel them. However, at the same time, Smith does not limit her critique to the human race, and ponders the question whether beings of other planets indulge in the same activities such as us, such as wondering if they're alone in the universe while looking at the stars, worshiping their suns or visiting their moons. I believe this approach taken by Smith to be very interesting as it establishes other beings to be in the same boat as us, which instills a sense of mutual confoundedness in the vastness of the universe. In the last stanza, Smith ponders on the question whether the true vastness of the universe without the limitation of time is revealed to people at the moment of their death, and wishes it to be true, so that when her time comes, she can be with her father as she did when she was young, highlighting her love for her father and her desire to be reunited with him.

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