blog post #2

Life is short, time is crucial. Time is the enemy that we can’t fight. However, what we can do is to cherish every moment like a shiny diamond, so that we don’t regret. The central idea of ‘Seize the Day’ perfectly reflects this statement, to enjoy life and make it worth it. However, are there anything else that Judith Ortiz Cofer wants to inform us? Are there any hidden meaning of this poem? Let’s take a closer look at this poem and see what I have explored.

Mostly in every stanza there is at least one sentence that is related to the nature. Why is Judith doing this? From my observation, this is a very effective way to complement nature as a great mother of earth. For instance, in the third stanza it says ‘Let water heal your body. Think of bathing as a ritual of new beginnings.’ Judith describes water as a role of mother who takes care of her child or ‘heal’ her child. Also, Judith puts the nature on a higher status than human. For example, in the first line of the fifth stanza where it says ‘be surprised by nature that shares your world of giant steps.’ Judith keeps informing readers that nature is a wonderful place that makes great impact on people’s life, which I will discuss more in the second paragraph. 

The technique Judith uses to describe the beauty of nature is very effective. Instead of simply telling readers that the nature is great and eulogise the beauty of nature, Judith writes a lot of details of nature the seems normal but at the same time beautiful. An example of that can be found in the fifth stanza from the third line to seventh line, where it says ‘The bug that irks you, the yellow butterfly that catches your eye…’. The lexical choices such as ‘irks’, ‘catches’ and ‘repels’ creates strong visual and vivid image. This technique is called visualisation, that uses picturesque language to grab readers’ attention and as if bringing readers into the environment described. This technique is achieved by Judith’s great describe of details. 

One compelling theme that grabs my attention is the theme of warmth of home. In the second last stanza, it says ‘Greet your ancestors in our native tongue, let them guide you to the place of origin…’. The purpose of this phrase is to inform people that they should never forget where they are originally from. Judith describes homeland as an ‘island in the sun’ which is a metaphor to emphasises the significance of home. At the end she uses Spanish which tells us where she is from, this could also make the poem more interesting. 


In conclusion, Judith has done a good job to creates tension that complements nature. She relate nature to people’s everyday life and tells people to go outside to observe the beauty in order to ‘seize’ the day. Nature as a role of mother can purify our mind. And also a life without understanding the meaning of home can be seemed as incomplete.

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