Immigrants in Our Own Land

“Immigrants in Our Own Land” is written in free verse, without a regular meter or a rhyme pattern. The poem utilizes ordinary language delivered in a laidback tone. Both word choice and sentence structure convey the impression that these could be the words of a poorly or modestly educated inmate. A more rigorous poetic form or more refined diction would have diminished the authenticity of the speaker’s voice.

Nevertheless, the poet uses several devices to give the speaker’s statements poetic shape and tone. For example, the 70-line poem is divided into six stanzas of irregular length, ranging from seven to 17 lines. These divisions are by no means arbitrary. Shifts between stanzas signal changes in perspective and organize the speaker’s argument about the effects of incarceration. The first stanza describes the initiation into prison life and develops the analogy between prisoners and immigrants, allowing the reader to begin making sense of the poem’s title. The second stanza elaborates on the contrast between new inmates’ hopes and the dispiriting reality that awaits them.