My Trek

About the Book

My Trek, by Oscar L. Guzmán is a collection of poetry that reveals an in-depth examination of the feelings, attitudes, beliefs and experiences from a somewhat solemn viewpoint. Each selection flows one after the other as they are thematically linked. The content of this work is particularly profound and mind challenging.  Throughout, Guzmán refers to life and death, as he describes man's constant struggle to prolong one and put off the other. Ironically, he contends that it is death in which a man finds peace and life in which he has pain. The theme of life and death is found throughout the book.

Intertwined with the message of the life and death struggle is the subject of man's destruction. Coupled with these arguments is an overwhelming strong sense of Mexican pride as Guzmán has included innumerable references to ancient Aztec and Mixtec gods, and other elements of Mexican idiosyncracies.

While it is apparent that the persona has strong ties to Mexico, but now resides in America, he boldly scrutinizes, and unmasks negative elements of the American way of life. Guzmán's poetry serves as a platform from which he is afforded the opportunity to express his feelings about the morality of some people in America.  In his poem, In God We Trust, he makes a social commentary about American's trust, their belief in God and their ethics. He writes: "Oftentimes I contemplate the object of their trust. Other times, I wonder if it is trust on the object they confuse for their God. Some trust, some God."

Guzmán's collection covers a variety of topics including equality, mediocrity, rebellion, religion, politics, heroes, and of course love. His poems tell stories, mostly about the life of a Mexican American and the proud heritage that follows him to a new homeland. Such is the case with his poem, My Origin. Throughout this work, Guzmán expresses melancholy and repressed ethics, which oppose the life style popular in modern America.

In My Trek, Oscar Guzmán has compiled an interesting collection of poetry. He incorporates a variety of word play into sharp commentaries on various related and unrelated subjects. The authors keen knack for eloquently employing literary elements is cleverly executed throughout this work.

He employs several literary elements in his poetry. One example he uses is an oxymoron. In the poem, Our Songs, he writes, We, daily indulge in the oxymoron of our humanity. He continues this piece by providing an example.  He states: "Sometimes we praise the beauty of morn in starry nights, and chant our songs of happiness with sorrow."

Another poetic technique Guzmán uses is alliteration. In the poem Taotetianis Fate, he writes: "...disdaining life and defying death, even in our dying breath." Another example of alliteration can be found in the poem Pantheon. He writes: "In our futile search, we created a formidable pantheon, filled with mysterious gods: Huitzilopochtli, Tonatiuh and Metzli, whom we faithfully served with our blood, sweat and tears." In the poem Friendship he writes: "Some sacrifice thousands of souls upon our altars..."

Guzmán also cleverly uses rhyme throughout his work. He does not utilize any particular rhyme scheme or patterns. However, he does skillfully and effectively incorporate rhyme within certain lines of poetry and within poems that have rhyme in no other passages. In the poem, My Macho Attitude, he writes: "Should you apologize for believing otherwise?" In the poem, Equality he writes: "Our ontology defines our diverse universe as a multitudinous fraternity." In the poem Cuauhxicalli, he writes: "Them we defy, but though we die, our blood shall fertilize the soil, wherein we toil and reap, so others may eat their fill."

An extensive incorporation of this rhyme technique is found in the poem On Equality. He writes: "As for the rest, the chosen ones say: Let us put them to the test; if they pass, perhaps they might enjoy the blessings of their employ."

Guzmá

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