October Blog on Amy Arellano's poem - Emma Hyyppä

I think that we have talked about some very important issues in class lately; women's rights, gender inequality, oppression and stereotyping. Amy Arellano's poems take a stand on the first one of these topics; issues that women might face. I found her poem "Mississippi Burning aka Personhood Amendments", about right to choose, very powerful and touching. 

I cry because I know

this amendment affirms

I have no

value

just an incubation tube

no incubation womb

for you

to continue civilization 

This part of the poem summarizes Arellano's poem, because it discusses how the state of Mississippi regulates abortion very strictly, and that many people view abortion as a controversial issue where going through the procedure is as bad as murdering a human. To me, the main reasons that make this poem powerful are that the author is narrating in the first person so it sounds very personal, and also that the wording is so direct. Also, the sentences are short so that makes it sound like the author is angry or yelling and that she has to take a breath after a few words. I see this poem as a very brave, strong stand on women's reproductive rights in the United States, especially in states like Mississippi where women don't have a right to choose. Arellano is not just advocating pro-choice or pro-abortion, but criticizes the laws for not individualizing women's needs and restricting women's feeling of being respected and important.

Growing up in Finland, one of the most liberal countries in the world, with a female president in the office for 12 years of my childhood (2000-2012), female rights are something that I often take for granted. I don't want to get all political here, but I personally agree with Arellano and her views about abortion being a woman's personal choice and right if they think it's the best for their own wellbeing. The most important thing that pointed out to me in my group's discussion was that the poems being so informative and factually supported, but also having so much emotion makes them interesting, even though this is an academic article. I think it is great that poems can be an effective way to educate and advocate different issues and I find it important that we discuss about these kind of topics in class. 

Arellano, A. (2013). Word Wielding Womb: Using the Body to Fight the War on Women. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 15(1), 45-46.