Research Paper on:
Four Poems by Sesshu Foster

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
force the reader to reconsider their view of minorities and what is means to be a person of color in the "land of the free." Fosters intensive view of what  society looks like from the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy is startling, but informative, as it serves to enlighten all those who do not share the experiences depicted. These points  become evident by examining closely several of his poems. Were caffeinated by rain inside concrete underpasses This poem depicts the life of the many Mexican workers in the US  who earn their living by keeping the lawns and grounds of establishments mainly frequented by whites green and luxurious. Fosters poetic style is to write in long, rambling lines. Although  he makes use of poetic images, some internal rhymes, and evocative imagery, by simply putting Fosters poem into paragraph form, one can easily transform it into lyrical prose. Therefore, this  raises the question as to what makes these lines poetic. Essentially, the answer to this question lies in the overall effect of the poem, which is to create in the  reader a sense for what life is like for the Mexican workers portrayed in the poem. For example, take the first line of the poem, which is synonymous with  the title. The alliteration between "caffeinated" and "concrete" emphasizes the rolling rhythm of the line. The reference to caffeine in connection with rain suggests, first of all, that this environment  is polluted, and secondly that the narrator has no where else to take shelter. Foster then goes on to list a variety of activities in which Mexicans work hard for  very little in return. They do the work; they maintain the system, but they do not register as fellow human beings with the people who enjoy the fruits of their