Students in Alina Argueta’s Spanish 2B class have been expressing their identity through poetry in the style of Cuban poet and freedom fighter José Martí. Martí started writing at age 16, advocating for Cuban independence from Spain. His words were so powerful that he was jailed and then exiled from Cuba. Verses from several of his poems were combined to create “Guantanamera,” one of Cuba’s best-known patriotic songs. Alina’s students learned about Martí, studied his poetry, and then wrote their own poems in the same style.

Yo soy un hombre sincero

De donde crecen las palmas

Using the same structure, Alina’s students personalized each line. “I didn’t give them the imagery, but by reading the poem, they were inspired, and what they created was really beautiful and very poetic,” says Alina. Alina asked students to describe their life, include places and people they love in the poem, and express something they want to accomplish in their lifetime. Students presented their finished poems with illustrations that reflected what they wrote, with some students incorporating graphics that they found while others created artwork to match the themes of their poetry. 

Yo soy una chica diligente

De donde las estaciones cambian

Y antes de irme yo quiero

ser una inspiración 

Mi vida es hermosa y amable

Mi vida es apasionada y fuerte

Mi vida es un amanecer brillante

Que brilla en las olas azules

- Julie Y. ‘23