Julio Noboa Polanco And The Song By India Arie

One’s identity is who he/she is and the characteristics that distinguish him/her from others. The poem by Julio Noboa Polanco and the song by India Arie are both about the meaning of identity. Although they both talk about individualism, there are some differences between them in style and content. Polanco compares himself with plants. He would rather be free and ugly than to be trapped and beautiful. Aria expresses she is who she is. Her worth is not determined by the price of her cloth.

Polanco and Arie speak about identity. They do not care about others and the society. Polanco does not admire others who are good looking. Arie only lives for herself. She loves herself conditionally. They want to break the general rule of how we define ourselves. Beautiful flowers are not the only one should be admired. Freckle is not the sign of bad. Not everyone is a supermodel

and have the perfect figures as the supermodels. We could still say I love my feet, my thighs, my lips, and my eyes. She does not need expensive clothes and drinks. However, the poem and the song are different in styles and contents.

The style of the poem and the song is distinctly different.

The poem is an indirect reference. "Let them be as flowers, always watered, fed, guarded, admired, but harnessed to a pot of dirt" Polanco compares other people as flowers. They are beautiful, sweet, fragrant. But they are harnessed to a pot of dirt. Polanco also states that human hands are greedy. It means that those people who have good looks and steady life is not really enjoying themselves. It is greedy. Polanco does not want to be that kind of people. "I'd rather be a tall, ugly weed, clinging on cliffs, like an eagle wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks" Polanco compares himself with a tall ugly weed, show his desire of being free and unique. The song is more straight forward than the poem. "Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don’t Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won’t " and it "Depend of how the wind blows I might even paint my toes It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul." Arie directly expresses her feelings of loving herself. there is no metaphor and comparison in the song. Every line is

directly.

The contents of the poem and the song are similar, both about personal identity, but they are slightly different. Polanco and Aria want to be unique in a good way. Polanco talks about he want to be an ugly weed rather than beautiful flowers. He emphasises that others are sweet and fragrant but he wants to be ugly and strong. He believes that appearance is not important and complains that the society cares more about beauty. He wants a different life, to have broken through the surface of the stone and to live, to feel exposed to the madness of the vast external sky. The song talks about loving self. Arie believes that she is the queen. She shaves his leg and combs her hair only because she wants to, not because anyone else or the society. She loves every part of her body. Something about the society needs to change. Moreover, she does not need any expensive clothes, drinks.
Everyone is unique and meaningful. Polanco and Arie show us what identity is in two different ways. Polanco focuses on being different with others. Arie's song is about loving herself. We all should love ourselves. Being a flower in the fertile valley or a weed on the cliffs, we are supposed to be who we are.