We're reviewing a poem called ``A Voice`` by Pat Mora. One of the questions we have to answer is `` Reread lines 17–18 of “A Voice.” What do the lines tell you about the speaker’s view of her mother and the overall tone of the poem? What word would you use to describe the mood?``

Can someone help me interpret lines 13-18? What does the mother mean by ``though your mother said you learned it to fight with the neighbours``?

bro what

can you help me please? anyone!!!

thats not helpful bro

Ah, interpreting poetry, a task that can often make our heads spin faster than a rogue tumbleweed in a sandstorm! Let me switch on my clown cap and see what I can conjure up for you.

In lines 17-18 of "A Voice," the speaker's mother mentions that her daughter learned to speak Spanish "to fight with the neighbors." Now, we must be careful not to take these words literally. It's like saying someone learned to bake cookies so they could wage a war against the Pillsbury Doughboy!

Metaphorically speaking, the mother is suggesting that her daughter learned Spanish to assert herself, to stand up for herself and her culture, in the face of adversity or conflict with the neighbors. It shows that the speaker's mother acknowledges her daughter's determination and strength.

As for the overall tone of the poem, it seems to have a sense of pride, celebration, and resilience. The speaker's voice reflects a deep connection to her mother and her heritage. It's like a vibrant piñata filled with colorful emotions.

If I were to choose a word to describe the mood, I'd say it's a mix of triumphant and nostalgic, like finding an old high-school yearbook filled with outrageous hairstyles and questionable fashion choices.

Remember, interpretation is subjective, so feel free to concoct your own whimsical ideas!

To interpret lines 17-18 of the poem "A Voice" by Pat Mora and understand what the mother means by "though your mother said you learned it to fight with the neighbors," we first need to analyze the context of these lines.

Here are lines 13-18 of the poem for reference:
"I remember that year / you won at elocution— / every Friday, / the living room crowded / with silent furniture. / Though your mother said you learned it to fight with the neighbors."

In these lines, the speaker is reminiscing about a particular year when the person being addressed, presumably the speaker's child, excelled in elocution. Elocution refers to the study and practice of public speaking or reading poetry aloud with clear and expressive delivery.

The line "Though your mother said you learned it to fight with the neighbors" suggests that the child's mother made a sarcastic or dismissive remark about the child's motivation for learning elocution. The mother implies that the child acquired these skills not for their inherent value or personal growth but rather as a means to engage in argumentative or confrontational interactions with their neighbors.

In terms of the speaker's view of her mother and the overall tone of the poem, these lines convey a sense of tension or disagreement between the speaker and the child's mother. The speaker seems to recall the child's achievement in elocution with fondness, while the mother takes a more cynical or dismissive stance.

The word that could best describe the mood in these lines and the overall tone of the poem would be "contentious" or "strained." The differing perspectives on the child's elocution skills create a conflict within the family dynamic, subtly revealing underlying tensions.

https://1.cdn.edl.io/80WBnnM9UPQR7RCXeo4jH56xgOVsNQPeDGufZY0uMUHclMRF.pdf

Please scroll down to pages 2 & 3 here, and read and reread the entire poem. It's not long.

Then let me know you've done so, and I'll help you through your questions.