I Was My Own Route Exercise Class 12 English: Question Answers | Julia de Burgos

CLICK THE LINK HERE 👇 TO SELECT

CHAPTERWISE SUMMARIES & SOLUTIONS NEB CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE  [ C. ENG & M. ENG]

Neb English Support Class 12

             Section 2: Literature (Poems)

I was My Own Route Exercise | Julia de Burgos 

  Summary | Exercise (Question Answers)

                  Class 12 English Guide

I Was My Own Route by Julia de Burgos

MAIN INTRODUCTION 

I Was My Own Route by Julia de Burgos

What is this poem "I was My Own Route" by Julia de Burgos about?

This powerful and inspirational poem "I Was My Own Route" was composed by a Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. She composed this poem in 1938 during her early feminist writings. This poem is about gender inequality and the search for self-identity and freedom. Here in this poem, the speaker urges women to detach themselves from so-called patriarchal ideologies to find their identity within. We find various themes in this poem, such as gender inequality, freedom and liberation, determination, and living in the present. 

Today I’ve brought the third poem from Class 12 in this article for you. From an exam point of view, since this poem is very important, I request you to read this article from start to finish. And now, without delay, let’s dive into today’s important poem. 

ABOUT THE POEM 

Today’s powerful and inspirational feminist poem "I Was My Own Route" is a short poem written by a Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. This poem was composed by Julia de Burgos around 1938 during her early feminist writings. This poem was translated into English by Jack Agüeros in 1997 in a small collection called "Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos".

Today’s poem is about gender discrimination, women’s self-identity, and the search for freedom, in which Julia de Burgos inspires all women to detach themselves from the chains of patriarchal society and create their own route or identity. The poem has six stanzas, and in each stanza, we find the speaker’s journey and her strong determination. 

NARRATION  

Now, talking about narration, we find a woman as the speaker in this poem, who is none other than the poet herself, Julia de Burgos. Here in this poem, we find her searching for her identity and existence in a patriarchal society. The poem shows how patriarchal ideologies suppress women and how they (women) must free themselves from that oppression to build their own route. 

WRITING TECHNIQUE 

Now, talking about writing technique, we find that Julia de Burgos has used an autobiographical and symbolic style in this poem. The poem’s writing style is very simple, but when we look at the meanings, they are very deep. In this poem, Julia de Burgos has used imagery, like flapping wings, old guard, the flower of all earth’s soil, and metaphors, like “I was made of nows,” to convey deep messages in this poem. We also find the use of repetition in this poem. These repetitions are found in stanza number one and stanza number six. These repetitions compare Julia de Burgos’ past and present and emphasize her confidence. 

SETTING  

Now, talking about setting, we don’t find any proper location or place setting in this poem. Here, the poem presents an emotional and social setting rather than a physical place. 

MAIN THEMES  

Now, talking about main themes, we can find many main themes in this poem, such as gender inequality, self-identity, freedom and liberation, determination, and living in the present. The poem highlights the inequality and oppression women face in a patriarchal society. 

LITERAL MEANING 

Now, talking about the literal meaning of this poem, we can find the literal meaning as follows. The poem presents the story of a woman who was living a miserable life in a patriarchal society. At that time, in a patriarchal society, she had to become and do what men told her. Her identity was treated like a game, and as for her existence, it was hidden in that society. Later, she rejects these patriarchal values and norms and chooses a separate new route. These patriarchal ideologies create obstacles against her rebellion, but she doesn’t stop and moves forward with determination, ultimately finding herself free and confident. This rebellion earns her respect. 

MAIN MESSAGE  

Now, talking about the message, we can find many messages in this poem. The poem gives us key messages like finding self-identity, freeing ourselves from society’s negative chains, and creating our own path. 

SUMMARY 

Now, let’s move to the summary of this inspirational poem, and here in the summary, I will describe the literal meaning of each stanza along with its deeper meaning for you. 

First Stanza

In the first stanza of this poem, the speaker, Julia de Burgos, tells us about her past life. According to her, her past life was very difficult, where she had to live according to patriarchal society’s ideologies. She had to become what men wanted, for example, stay at home if told, do this if told, wear this if told, and so on. There was a kind of question mark over her identity. Her identity and existence were treated as an attempt of life and a game. But later in this stanza, we encounter the speaker’s strong determination. She says, “I was made of nows”. Here, we can understand her rebellious ideology. She appears very determined in the present against her past life. In this stanza, Julia de Burgos presents her difficult past and her determination in the present. Here, she searches for the kiss of a new path on this committed earth, mocking past patriarchal ideologies and moving only forward, not stepping back, meaning she resolves not to return to a life under the past’s control. 

Second Stanza 

In the second stanza, the speaker talks about the various obstacles or hurdles she faced on this new path. While walking this new path against patriarchal ideologies, patriarchal norms, which are called “the desperate wings of the old guard” in this poem, attack her from behind. These obstacles try to break and rip her, but she doesn’t stop moving forward. In this stanza, we can call the “old guard” patriarchal traditionalists or defenders of patriarchal norms, which appear as a kind of obstruction or barrier against the speaker’s rebellion. But still, the speaker moves forward despite these obstacles. This stanza highlights the oppression of patriarchal society.

 

Third Stanza 

Now in the third stanza, we find the speaker with a very different perspective. She feels completely free on her new path. She has been freed forever from the pinned branches of the past. Every new difficulty has taken her perspective far from familiar old places. Her chosen path is very different from patriarchal ideologies. Here, we find the feeling of internal liberation on her face on this new route. She feels internally liberated, and this sense of liberation comes from the balance of her life and the paths of truth she has chosen. In this stanza, we find the speaker’s joy and confidence. Here, it’s clear she is far from old chains, and on this new path, she feels truly free from her heart. 

Fourth Stanza 

Now, looking at the fourth stanza, the speaker sees herself as a flower of all the earth’s soil. She sees herself as a free flower, a flower bloomed in soil that has no history, no future, no boundaries set by men, and no specific events. She considers herself a flower bloomed in such soil. In this stanza, she feels boundless and free on her new path. Here on this new path, she doesn’t need men’s history, future, or boundaries. This stanza celebrates the speaker’s own identity and freedom. 

Fifth Stanza 

In the fifth stanza of this poem, there is only a short line where the speaker says, “And I was all in me as was life in me ...” Here in this stanza, the speaker expresses her self-realization, where she becomes the center of her own life. This stanza presents the power of her self-acceptance.

Sixth Stanza 

Now, in the sixth or final stanza, we find the use of repetition. The start of this final stanza is similar to the first stanza, but some lines here clearly show the speaker’s confidence. She completely rejects patriarchal ideologies. When her name is announced in the parade of the “old guard” or traditionalists, she completely abandons her desire to follow or imitate men. This rebellion earns her respect. In this stanza, she appears very determined and powerful. Here, she has firmly resolved not to follow or imitate men anywhere, which makes her rebellious act a source of respect. 

Thus, this poem is an inspirational poem that beautifully presents the importance of self-identity, freedom, and determination. 

SHORT SUMMARY 

I Was My Own Route by Julia de Burgos

Write a short summary of the poem "I was My Own Route" by Julia de Burgos.

The poem "I was My Own Route"  was composed by Puerto Rican poet "I was My Own Route". This poem depicts how women are burdened with patriarchal ideologies from the past. Therefore, de Burgos urges the women to detach themselves from the past so as to locate their identity within.

This poem has presented the desire for the intimate and deep liberation of women. This poem is based on feministic ideas where we can find rebels done by a woman against the social injustice of the contemporary time.

Here, her steps against patriarchal norms and values present her as a radical feminist. She seems quite frustrated with male dominance. She expresses her desires by protesting patriarchal ideologies and moving to her new path of intimate liberation.

The speaker, as a woman, seems quite determined in her resolution. She shares her feelings about living her life under patriarchal norms and values. She suffers a lot in a so-called patriarchal society where her identity itself is similar to the game of hide and seek. She wanted to be what men wanted her to be. To get rid of this burden, she chooses her new path, mocking her past life under patriarchal ideology. She moves ahead with a strong promise not to step backwards.

During her advancing steps, she faces various obstacles regarding patriarchal norms and values. Her past becomes her obstacle.

Her new route is quite different from that of her old route. Here, she finds her route quite flexible to move on. She feels joy and intimate liberation. She feels like a blossom that can freely grow on any part of the earth. She feels quite easy in her life without the restrictions of patriarchal ideologies. She realises the meaning of life within herself. At last, her feelings about following patriarchal ideology warp within her, and she prefers not to follow those norms and values that oblige her to live an identity-less life. She feels that her protest against patriarchal norms and values will certainly bring her a huge amount of respect.

CLICK THE LINK HERE 👇 TO SELECT

CHAPTERWISE SUMMARIES & SOLUTIONS NEB CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE  [ C. ENG & M. ENG]

CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ 

POEMS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK

CLICK THE LINK HERE 👇 TO SELECT

CHAPTERWISE SUMMARIES & SOLUTIONS NEB CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE  [ C. ENG & M. ENG]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

I Was My Own Route by Julia de Burgos

I was My Own Route Exercise 

BEFORE READING 

Discuss the following questions.

a. Do you try to be like what others want you to be? Why? Why not? 

Answer:

I don't try to be like what others want me to be because I have my own identity and interests. I prefer to act in my own interest. I always try to follow the concept of "Be who you are".

b. How can we achieve our identity?

Answer: 

We can achieve our identity by presenting ourselves with full determination. Our identity is much important in our lives. We should always try our best to achieve our identity to establish our lives.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 

Answer the following questions:

a. Why did the speaker try to be the way men wanted her to be?

Answer:

The speaker tried to be the way men wanted her to be because she had no options left in contemporary society. Contemporary society was quite rigid with various male ideologies, where she had to follow men's route and move according to their norms and values. She had to live her burdened life under the patriarchal tradition.

b. What do you understand by her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’? 

Answer:

By her feet 'would not accept walking backwards', I understand the firm resolution of the speaker to move her feet forward towards her new paths where there would be no obstacles regarding patriarchal norms and values. Her feet wouldn't accept backwards on her new route ahead. Her life under patriarchal ideology was so miserable and full of oppression. She decided to move her feet ahead on her new route challenging the old guards.

 

c. Who are the old guards? Why did they grow desperate? 

Answer:

The old guards are those strict traditionalists who conserve patriarchal norms and values. They are quite bold in their blind faith and support patriarchal values mostly. They grew desperate to find the rebellious character within the speaker who challenged and protested them and their patriarchal norms and values. They found the violation against patriarchal norms and values by the speaker.

d. How did the speaker have ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’? 

Answer:

The speaker had 'a feeling of intimate liberation' from her act of choosing her new paths, which are quite separated from familiar patriarchal norms and values. Being away from patriarchal ideologies, she had a joyous feeling of intimate liberation that flowed from the balance between her life and the truth of the route that she had chosen.

e. Why did the speaker’s desire to follow men warp in her? 

Answer:

The speaker's desire to follow men warp in her because she was familiar with so-called patriarchal ideologies. She suffered a lot under the men, and her identity was even crushed. Her desire to follow men turned into hatred, and she moved forward on her new path, protesting patriarchal norms and values.

 

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT 

a. What does the speaker mean when she says 'she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being’?

Answer:

When she says'she was playing a game of hide and seek with her being’, she means a very bad situation of her life under patriarchal ideologies where there is a question mark in her being as well as identity. Her life under patriarchal ideology was similar to the game of hide and seek, which she was playing with her being as well as her identity under men's dominance.

CLICK THE LINK HERE 👇 TO SELECT

CHAPTERWISE SUMMARIES & SOLUTIONS NEB CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE  [ C. ENG & M. ENG]

b. Why, in your view, was her back ripped by the old guards as she was advancing forward?

Answer:

Yes, her back was ripped by the old guards in my view. As she was advancing forward just against patriarchal ideologies, the old guards i.e. the traditionalists became quite desperate. They opposed her steps and created a lot of obstacles against her. They provided a lot of obstacles on her advancing steps. They tried to create hindrances on her way and stop her on her way ahead.

c. What, according to the speaker, did it feel like to be free?

Answer:

According to the speaker, to be free, it felt like a blossom that can grow without any restrictions anywhere on the earthly soil. It is a kind of feeling that flows from the balance between her life and the truth of the kiss of new paths.

d. Why does the speaker prefer the present to the past?

Answer:

The speaker prefers the present to the past because her present is far better than her past. Her life under patriarchal ideology wasn't good at all, and she was living her life without her identity. Her present is so nice, with intimate liberation, where she imagines herself as a blossom that can flourish anywhere on earthly soil.

e. John Donne, in his poem “No Man is an Island”, says, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Would Burgos agree with Donne? Do you agree with Donne or Burgos?

Answer: 

The metaphysical poet and clergyman John Donne was one of the most influential poets of the Renaissance. He was just as famous for his witty, cutting poetry.

John Donne's poem "No Man is an Island", says, “No man is an island entire of itself”. Here, John Donne's poem's main title, 'No Man is an Island, expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community to thrive. This poem puts forward the idea that no one is fully self-sufficient. Everyone must rely on the company and comfort of others to survive and thrive.

No, Burgos wouldn't agree with Donne. She supports separated lives for survival and progress in her poem. Yes, I agree with John Donne and support his concept of societal equality in every aspect. He has put forward the idea of social equality, where men and women seem equal and support each other for the development of society. But if we examine Julia de Burgos's poem "I Was My Route," we find the speaker against patriarchal norms and values. She moves on her new paths for the sake of her identity and thrives in her life. The concept of feminism has been presented by the speaker where there is a lack of social equality. She doesn't want to rely on men and thinks of patriarchal norms and values as obstacles to female identity and progress.

In the case of both of them, I appreciate the concept of John Donne in his poetry, who has presented the fine concept of social equality between men and women for the development of society.

REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT 

a. Write an essay on My Idea of Freedom.

Answer:

               My Idea of Freedom

The term 'freedom' itself is a term of debate from ancient times up to now. People have different interpretations of this term. I think the term 'freedom' is quite a joyful term for all, which sounds good. If we try to find out its real definition from books or websites, we find a single definition most of the time.

The term "freedom" refers to a state of independence where you can do what you like without any restriction from anyone. Moreover, freedom can be called a state of mind where you have the right and freedom to do what you think. Also, you can feel freedom from within.

But people define freedom with their different interpretations according to the situations and their own experiences. Different people have different mentalities and define this term differently. In most definitions, we often find mention of the liberal state of human beings.

My idea of freedom is similar to others. I also prefer to define it as the liberation of human beings. Following are some of my ideas regarding the term freedom:

1. Freedom is a right to live. This aspect is quite important. Being humans, priority should be given to our survival. Human beings must have the right to survive properly without having any fear for their lives.

 

2. Freedom is a right to express: This is also a fine aspect of freedom, where human beings get the right to express their views and ideas through oral as well as written means. This right of expression is a must, but it should be away from the concept of harming others.

 

3. Freedom is a right to equal opportunity. This is another important aspect of freedom. This is the right where there is no discrimination between people in the matter of opportunities. Human beings must get equal opportunities in their lives in the matter of education and jobs.

Thus, freedom is essential for the well-being of all human beings.

b. Not all people, however, seem to agree with the kind of freedom upheld by Burgos in this poem. For example, William Faulkner, in his novel Requiem for a Nun, says, ‘“The past is never dead. It’s not even past. All of us labour in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and I agree with Faulkner? Why? Why not? 

Answer:

Yes, I agree with Faulkner because, in his novel "'Requiem for a Nun, his quote reveals the reality of human beings regarding the connection of the past. Human beings are considered conscious beings who are directly connected with their past and historical backgrounds. On this planet, every human being is connected to their pasts and their consequences. The time that human beings have spent here on this planet isn't dead. It has become the past for them, but that particular past remains alive within them for their entire lifetime. This connection to the past is quite long enough. The process of connection keeps on weaving its webs before birth. All we humans labour in these webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity. Human life keeps on moving and being connected with the past. Humans never escape the great reality of this planet. The past always plays a vital role in everyone's life. The past never dies, nor does it become old. It keeps on moving with humans. Human beings always remain in this connection and struggle all the time.

CLICK THE LINK HERE 👇 TO SELECT

CHAPTERWISE SUMMARIES & SOLUTIONS NEB CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE  [ C. ENG & M. ENG]

The idea of freedom presented by Julia de Burgos seems quite unacceptable. The concept of social inequality can be seen in her poem. In Burgos's poem, we find the speaker quite frustrated to see her life under patriarchal ideology. She chooses her new path, leaving behind her past, because she finds her past quite unpleasant. She wishes to be fully free from her past and male ideologies. Though she moves on her new path, she will never find herself away from her past connection. She will have to face this reality at every step of her life. Her past and her historical background will always make her realise her own identity.

CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ

DETAILED SUMMARY OF I WAS MY OWN ROUTE CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE

CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ

THE AWAKENING AGE BY BEN OKRI CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE

CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ

COMPULSORY ENGLISH CLASS 12 GUIDE MODEL QUESTION PAPER

Thanks for Visiting my Website: Suraj Bhatt