The poem “Letter From a Contract Worker” by Antonio Jacinto presents a fairly straightforward subject matter, which we can use to determine the underlying theme(s). A poem's subject is often described as the topic or simply put, what the poem is about. In this case, we have an obvious love poem, written by a man forced to leave his lover in order to find work, most likely as an itinerant worker. This is evidenced by lines 45-48, where Jacinto's character describes his workplace among the orchards and exotic beasts, where he appears to be far from home, expressed metaphorically in line 50 as "the wind should lose it on the way," referring to his "letter."
So now that we have our subject matter, we can explore the themes in a more in-depth way. On the surface, the poem is about a man yearning to be reunited with his love. If we look closer, we can see that the primary theme behind that idea is the pain of separation. Clearly, the man is miserable and worried about his lady forgetting their precious time together. He worries that she will go on about her life an forget him, while he aches for her daily as he toils. He worries that his work will overshadow his personal life, but that he has no choice in the matter. He also worries that others in her life will persuade her to move on without him. The other notable theme is the cruelty of fate, and how it plays a part in their separation.
Tone and mood are often used together where the author's purpose is to create an emotional experience for the reader. Jacinto expresses several moods: sorrow, passion, frustration, heartbreak, and pessimistic. Overall, the man writing the letter does not seem very hopeful that he will be reunited with his love. The tone of a poem refers to the author's feelings about the subject matter. In this poem, the author seems to portray a sense of pity for the man who finds himself in this difficult situation. He does not give a neat and tidy resolution to the problem, so it appears that the author feels this is a common predicament that men such as this find themselves in.
The diction of this poem leans towards conversational, yet is not something we would necessarily find in a typical love letter. The words in the poem are very visual and convey sensory experiences through rhythm. An example of this is found in the fifth stanza, in the following lines:
"from song to songlament to lamentgabble to gabble"
In his poem “Letter From a Contract Writer,” Antonio Jacinto assumes the persona of a lovesick laborer who is working far away from home—and the woman he adores.
Diction is defined as word choice. The connotations of the words in all but the last stanza of the poem are romantic or sexual. The speaker uses words like “desire,” “yearning,” “intimate,” “caresses,” “passion,” and “hot.” All of these suggest the speaker’s lust for his lover.
The diction of the poem establishes an admiring, passionate tone as the speaker compares his lover’s features to various things he finds beautiful.
Mood, which is how the author intends readers to feel, is created through tone. Readers are supposed to be swept up in the speaker’s passion, wishing he could be reunited with the woman he figuratively worships. One could say the mood is wistful.
To determine the theme, or underlying message, it is important to note the changes in tone and mood that come in the last stanza. The speaker repeats the word “why” to express his frustration at not being able to write the letter he has heretofore described. He uses exclamation points and dashes to indicate an agitated feeling. When the speaker reveals that he can’t write and his lover can’t read, the reader feels the speaker’s agony over his unexpressed emotions.
Theme in this poem could relate to either language or education. Since the title of the poem emphasizes the speaker’s impoverished working-class identity, I will focus on the education theme. Jacinto comments on how limited access to education prevents people from expressing themselves to the world. The speaker’s inability to write down everything he feels is the fault of a lacking education. Yet, the speaker is clearly a creative, intelligent individual who has something to offer the world. This shows that limiting one’s education limits one’s ability to be who one truly is.
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