Topic & Message
What everyday object serves as the central object of this poem
What is legal paper?
The mood of reverence in the courtroom contrasts with the earlier harsh mood in the factory, creating this effect
What is juxtaposition or situational irony
The repetition of "p" sound in "perfection of paper" is an example of this device
what is alliteration
How many line breaks are in this poem
What is 1
This is the poet who wrote "Who burns for the Perfection of Paper"
Who is Martin Espada
The poem highlights the contrasts between manual labour and these professions
What is a Lawyer
The mood created by describing burns from paper assembly creates which two emotions
What is discomfort and sympathy
By repeating the idea of burns, the poet uses this device for emphasis
What is repetition
The lines often run into the next line without punctuation, a device known as this
What is enjambment
Where is the author of this poem from
What is Brooklyn, New York
The ultimate message is that progress and achievement are built on the invisible contributions of which people
What is the working class
The poem's tone suggests the speaker feels both pain and this towards his past work
What is pride
The legal pad functions as this, representing more than just an object
What is a symbol
How does the poem's use of enjambment mirror the physical aspect of paper production
What is the constant flow of paper production
Where does Martin Espada work
What is the The University of Massachusetts
The poem uses the legal pad as a symbol of this larger theme
What is the connection between labour and recognition
The shift in tone from physical suffering to courtroom success suggests this type of emotion
What is bittersweetness
What does the phrase: "yellow paper stacked seven feet high and leaning" symbolize
What is the overwhelming amount of labor the working class has to overcome just to survive
The poem's plainspoken diction and lack of rhyme emphasizes this type of rhythm
What is Free Verse
What issue has martin dedicated most of his career to
What is the pursuit of social justice
The poem suggests that every legal pad made carries the history of this
What is human labor
The poem's mixture for admiration of labor and unease about its hidden cost creates this paradox about human achievement
What does the phrase: "No gloves, fingertips required for the perfection of paper" imply
What is how manual labor is extremely important, especially when it comes to high-quality products
The lack of stanza breaks structurally reinforces this larger theme of the poem
What is the uninterrupted nature of labour
Espada often writes about these groups of people, giving them a voice through poetry
What is the working class and marginalized people