The Journey of Literature

The poem "Migrations" by Dorian Merina talks about the ancient Manilla Galleon trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. Throughout his poem he portrays the inter-racial unions and the coming together of different cultures. When I listened to the poem all I could think about was they way Dorian Merina uses literature to describe a journey. Migration means moving from one place to another, but in his poem Merina gives it a much deeper meaning. The author uses his poem to describe the journey of the merging between cultures. For example, when he narrates the union of different people: "Blanco y India = Mestizo/Mestizo y Mestiza = Mulato..." (85-86), he succintly shows the evolution of different cultures and how they become one.

Another interesting aspect of Merina's poem is the way he manages to connect literature with movement. The words and the images of the poem help the reader visualize and feel the experience of migrations. In lines 16-18, the author says: "On the boats come the goods that cross the waters/ like veins and blood rushing/ the goods cross the waters." The choice of words of this section enables the reader to sense and illustrate the movement of the poem. As well, Merina's vivid description of the exchange goods allows the reader to understand better the motion of migrations.
Through his diction and images, the author manages to portray the journey and interactions of different cultures.