Reading Response- Beast Meridian

Violet Vasquez

March 3rd, 2019

ENG 152- Dr. Abinader

Reading Response 6 - Beast Meridian

In reading “Beast Meridian” I searched the meaning of meridian and in finding its definition I found to make more sense of what I had just read. There was no magical moment of recollection or epiphany of connectedness, instead it only distanced me. The constantly changing forms on each page from blocks, to major spacing, and so forth had intrigued me in a frustrating manner. I wanted so desperately to understand the reasoning in this, or even how to read the poem. I found myself rereading in different orders out-loud to hear the difference in the poems. I feel my Xicana identity aided my connection to some of these pieces, mainly the frustrations, the religious and cultural meanings not to mention the Spanish I know as a partner to my English. Drawing on my own upbringing and lived experiences I found less and less connections/understanding in this book. This is not my narrative, it is one that belongs to my great great grandparents, they made this journey to give my generations a chance at the “american dream.” I sat with my privilege in hand contemplating it as a burden, a blessing, or both. Were my ancestors struggles worth it? I would say yes, as I benefit as an individual, and no, as my family is is not untied or grounded in the same way had we never left Mexico.

The beginning of the book hurtled me into a world that I wanted to identify as my own, by the middle of the book I knew it was a world unknown. By the ending I realized it was a world forgotten until that moment of reflection.