I was my own route

Stanza 1

I wanted to be like men wanted me to be: 

an attempt at life; a game of hide and seek with my being. 

The words highlight the issue of women's emancipation as they seek their freedom in the position where they find themselves in society since they are presented as a woman refusing to be defined by men.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground and chose her own course rather than adhering to any predetermined itinerary. To "kiss the new paths," she left the game of playing the part of her true self.  

The speaker highlights the differences between who she was and what was expected of her in the first stanza. Instead of playing the usual game of hide and seek, she wants to forge her own path and opposes patriarchal ideas. She talks about this in terms of both women's emancipation and her own personal independence.

Stanza 2  

The poem describes how it overcame the frenetic flapping of old feet at an era when societal standards restricted the behavior of women, all the while explaining the restrictions placed on women at each stop along the journey. In a heartbroken drawing, she demonstrates how to throw herself back with ancient logs that stand in for the challenges she is prepared to tackle, no matter how painful the process may be.

The furious flapping wings of the old guard tore at my back with each stride I took forward. In the second stanza, the speaker faces various barriers created by men that stand in the way of her upward progress, but she overcomes them with determination. She explains how her broken heart and old blogs forced her to observe things the old-fashioned manner.

Stanza 3  

Here, the poetic person separates herself from the branch and the trunks that have held her aloft, freeing herself from everything they have taught them. From this wonderful domesticating vista, that slips away.

It starts to notice a change in her face as "a sensation of liberation" appears, which is caused by her internal feelings, and is followed by "the kiss of the new routes".

But the branch was unpinned forever, and at each new whiplash may look separated more and more and more from the distant familiar horizons; and my face took the expansion that came from within, the defined expression that hinted at a feeling of intimate liberation; a feeling that surged from the balance between my life and the truth of the kiss of the new paths.  

In the third stanza, the speaker endures a great deal of suffering while feeling liberated to balance her own life and proceed on the new and authentic route of life. She aspires to reach great horizons and take part in all the liberations that society's masculine members have already attained. As a result, she kisses a variety of paths leading to diverse degrees of freedom and happiness in life.

Stanza 4  

The poet is fully cognizant of who she is, what she stands for, and her goals. It appears to be a "bud" emerging from the ground. It now has its own history, one that began on soils with little hope for the future. Men have defined bounds for unbounded soils. She started from scratch to establish her own roots, face challenges, and find her way to being herself.

Already my course now set in the present, I felt myself a blossom of all the soils of the earth, of the soils without history, of the soils without a future, of the soil always soil without edges of all the men and all the epochs.  

In the fourth stanza, the character finds herself in a predefined scenario with no past, future, edges, or anything else besides the world and the constraints of men and women living in the shadows of men. Women are restricted to the four walls of their houses by the numerous barriers that patriarchy has built for them. Her current struggles are surrounded by a number of obstacles and patriarchal social conventions. It shows a world where there doesn't seem to be much hope for women.

Stanza 5  

The poetic self conveys the sense of strength that comes with deciding to go on one's own path in the words "And I was everything in my life." It was the perfect opportunity to get in touch with and meet your true self. Now that you completely get it, you may live your life on your own.

And I was all in me as was life in me...  With the phrase "And I was all in me as was life in me..." in the fifth stanza, the speaker seeks to convey the feeling of strength that comes with choosing one's own path. 

For the speaker, it was a wonderful chance to get to know and connect with her true selves. Her life is now fully understood and independent. 6 Stanza I wanted to be what men wanted me to be: a game of hide-and-seek with my being, an attempt at living. However, I was built of nows, and when the heralds announced my arrival at the old guard's royal procession, my urge to follow men became distorted, leaving the adoration in wait for me.

Stanza 6

In order to describe it in more detail, the lyrical self returns to the first verse, "I wanted to be as men wanted me to be: an attempt at existence."

A life of unfulfilling possibilities that she overcame by being aware of her presence in the present. An existence hidden from itself. The messengers revealed the slew of rules, roads, and limits that she would have to abide by, and she changed her desire to follow these men into a wish to leave without being noticed.

The speaker tells her who she was and what the community's men wanted her to be. She continues by saying that because she works so hard to be who she wants to be, she is everything in herself.

In the opening verse, the speaker describes her own efforts to deviate from what patriarchal society deemed desirable. She is quite depressed about the gloomy future she faces, but she is also motivated to get through the challenging circumstances in her life.

Points to remember 

• The focus of the poem "I Was My Own Route" is on the autonomy and empowerment of women. 
• She is pursuing novel approaches to managing her journey and making her own decisions. 
• In response to the societal injustice that existed at the time, as expressed by Julia de Burgos, this poem promotes gender discrimination.
• She talks about her experiences as a victimized woman in her native country of the United States. 
• She was a woman of African descent who was interested in discovering who she was and what she wanted to achieve. 
• She asked that these attributes be present in this sexist and unequal society because she wanted equal opportunities, freedoms, and advantages.
• This poem serves as evidence why women should never view themselves as less valuable than males or as having their lives dictated by the opinions of others because they are not subject to societal norms. 
• He shouldn't play "hide and seek" with her soul, the poem continues. Instead, she must press forward despite obstacles. 
• This poetry has a rebellious spirit and is reflective. The author shows disdain towards ingrained social conventions.
• The first verse teaches us that society may impose numerous labels or standards and that nobody should be forced to conceal or negate their skills, aptitudes, or aspirations in order to "fit in." 
• She describes the demoralization of behaving or being unique in an intolerant culture in the second stanza. 
• Julia continues by reiterating her resolve to shed the stigmas and create a fresh start despite the repercussions. 
• She is a role model for fearlessness, decisiveness, and dedication to individualism.
• She self-proclaims in the fourth verse that she is a symbol for all social groups that have been oppressed by restrictive beliefs, not just for underprivileged women. 
• Julia extols the benefits of leading a purposeful life. She is sure that homage will have to wait as she closes the poem.