Summary Of The Latin Deli An Ars Poetica

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Cheyenne K. Koehler Kath Pattie English 102 April 21, 2024 The poem “The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica” is about a store that would sell unusual things. These supplies were often more valuable to immigrants who were coming into the United States at the time. Often these immigrants would go to this store and immediately feel at home. Some will even say that it would be cheaper to just go back home, even though they know they cannot. In the poem “The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica,” the store gives immigrants comfort through how the store is set up, the foreign ingredients they sell, and their ability to speak and understand their native tongue. The store in the poem is set up like a 3rd world country store. The United States has stores that keep everything packaged and …show more content…

Although the United States at the time had access to the good things for stores. The store owner kept all this to help them feel more comfortable, even with the “narrow aisles” (Ln 25). She knows exactly how to set up the store to meet each immigrant longing for a home. The immigrants are comforted with the products the store sells. The store owner sells products from other countries such as “Bustelo coffee” (Cofer Ln 12) that would not be found in the United States regularly. These products were known as “canned memories” (Cofer Ln 9) to most of the immigrants and the products were bought from ”close ports” (Cofer Ln 37). The store owner would keep “dried codfish” (Cofer Ln 5) in bins and hanging stalks would be “green plantains” (Cofer Ln 5) she made sure that all the goods were packaged just like the markets from their native markets. Most importantly, she would package products just like her mother would by “wrapping it in wax paper tied with string” (Cofer Ln 29-30). Being so far away from home, customers would read the labels as if they were “names of lost lovers” (Cofer Ln 27) because of their longing to be back

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