16 pages • 32 minutes read
Pat MoraOld Love
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Elena” by Pat Mora (1984)
This is an example of a persona poem, in which Mora gives voice to a Mexican woman who has moved to the United States with her husband and children. She must learn English to remain relevant to her children and to adjust to the family’s new life.
“Curandera” by Pat Mora (1984)
In this poem published in the same collection as “Elena,” Mora describes a curandera, which is Spanish for a female folk healer who mixes medicinal plants and spiritualism to treat illnesses. It is a good example of Mora’s interest in people who remain strongly connected to indigenous traditions and beliefs.
“La Migra” by Pat Mora (1993)
This poem exemplifies Mora’s abiding interest in the lives of Chicanos/Chicanas living near the United States border with Mexico. It dramatizes the conflict between the United States Border Patrol and undocumented border crossers. The first part of the poem expresses the Border Patrol’s arrogant belief that they can catch undocumented migrants easily and may treat them with little sympathy or courtesy. In the second part, however, a female speaker who represents all Mexican border crossers offers her courageous and defiant response.
“Ode to Teachers” by Pat Mora (2010)
The speaker in this poem recalls the encouragement and support they received from a teacher who helped them gain confidence in themselves and their writing. The poem reflects Mora’s belief that children’s creativity should be encouraged.
“My Rock” by Pat Mora (2021)
This poem is about the connection between human beings and the natural world, an important indigenous belief and a frequent theme in Mora’s poetry.
Further Literary Resources
This well-developed and colorful website contains a great deal of information about the poet and her multifaceted work. It also includes a bibliography of articles and scholarly studies for more in-depth study of Mora’s writing.
In this video interview for ¡Colorín Colorado! Pat Mora talks about how important it is for readers, especially children, to see in literary works people who look like them and names similar to theirs. She recalls that her Mexican heritage was completely absent from her early education in Texas, a situation that should not be the experience of children with Mexican heritage today.
“The Influence of Pat Mora: How—and Why—Literacy Becomes Political” by Kathleen Dudden Rowlands (2007)
While it focuses on Mora’s advocacy of literacy and reading, this article also addresses Mora’s literary work and includes revealing statements by the poet about her experience as a Chicana writer and her interest in bilingual and bicultural ways of living in the United States.
“Celebrating Author and Poet Pat Mora!” by Lisa Fink (2022)
In the honor of Pat Mora’s 80th birthday, the National Council of Teachers of English published this celebratory page on their website. While this article is short, it contains several links to valuable resources related to Mora’s life and work.
Related Titles
By Pat Mora
