Understanding Gary Soto’s “Mexicans Begin Jogging”

Gary Soto’s “Mexican’s Begin Jogging,” explores an array of emotions twisting from desire to anxiety as the narrative unfolds into an inspiring tale of courage and freedom. It delves into the constant struggle to strive for something better in one man’s race towards a new life. Although the poem is simply told, Soto enhances the theme through the careful use of several poetic elements including lyric, imagery, and carpe diem. The passage …showed first 75 words of 638 total…

…showed last 75 words of 638 total…to gain a new found respect and understanding for the power of one man and the inspiration he provides. In his perspective on the figure a poem makes, Robert Frost explains, “It begins in delight, it inclines to the impulse, it assumes direction with the first line laid down, it runs a course of lucky events, and ends in a clarification of life – not necessarily a great clarification… but in a momentary stay against confusion” (794).