Language and Landscape

Read Juan Felipe Herrera’s “Punk Half Panther” out loud at least twice. Keep a list of any language that stands out as you read and listen.

Questions to consider, on your own in writing, or in discussion with others:

• What landscape(s) is Herrera describing in this poem?
• What language(s) does he use, and where does this language come from in the landscape?
• Who is the speaker in this poem? What do we learn about them from how they describe the world?

In this exercise, you will weave together all the languages of a particular landscape to create a panoramic poetic portrait of the place. If you are able, you will want to visit the place and take notes on what you see and hear, smell and feel. You can also freewrite in response to the following questions using memory, research tools, and any other resources available to you.

Questions to consider before composing your poem:

What languages exist in this landscape? Think about the names of the place (town names, street names, etc.); the languages spoken in this place; the different types of written communication in this space (texting, notes, graffiti, text from billboards or signs in stores, posted notices and street signs, text on clothing, etc.); the languages you hear over intercoms or public address systems, on the radio, etc. What languages are used to describe the plants, the animals, the geography, the architecture? What languages are used by the plants, the animals, the geography, the architecture?

After you have compiled a store of language, compose a poem that uses the language of the place to evoke the experience of being in that place. Experiment with sentence structure, spelling, and other visual elements of the page, like typography, text placement, and white space, to change the flow, tone, and landscape of your poem.