In the poem, “Identity” by Julio Noboa Polanco, each of the verses have hidden meanings that the poet is trying to convey to the reader. The verses are depicted to be a portrayal of real-life ideals, about his view of the self and society. The poet first claimed that the poet would prefer to be a wild weed instead of a flower.
In the poem, some verses can be interpreted as the poet discussing mental health, for example, the quote. “I’d rather be unseen, and if then shunned by everyone, than to be a pleasant-smelling flower, growing in clusters in the fertile valley, where they’re praised, handled, and plucked by greedy, human hands.” (Stance 4)In this verse, you can see that the poet, after saying, “id rather be unseen”(Line 13). The quote can be explained as to how the poet currently was feeling about his identity and how his perception of the world wasn’t entirely accepted by most, and that he would rather be alone than with people.
Referring to how he feels lonely and doesn’t feel like he can freely express himself in the way that he would like to. The poet might have a mental or physical illness that can’t be unseen, causing him not to be seen by a person and wanted to be ignored by other people in society because of how mental illness patients get treated.
Even after claiming to be a weed, which is wild and free, the poet claims that he prefers to be invincible and not be a “pleasant-smelling flower”(Line 15) even when the flower is growing in a “fertile valley”(Line 16) meaning more stable and non-judge place.
When the poet says, “where they’re praised, handled, and plucked by greedy, human hands.”(Line 17 and 18) These could be about how the poet would like his thoughts and views to be respected and not “stolen” by the hands of society. And also how the poet would like to choose their path and not be constrained by the wishes of others.
The poet wants to have some freedom and wants to do something of his own without being judged or lead by someone. The poet expresses concern over his own internal battles. The verses showcase his inner struggle with acceptance of his own identity and being able to freely encompass his views without the need to be judged by society. He may also be sharing his battles of mental health, which at that time may have been considered to be “prohibition,” and had to, therefore, convey it through detailed imagery, with underlying messages.
"Identity" by Julio Noboa Polanco 