Love Letters to Poetry | Growing A Theme: From A SEED IN THE SUN

I chose the poem "Seeds" from my verse novel A Seed in the Sun because it, more than any other poem, encapsulates the theme of the book through poetry.

Themes in a verse novel can be fertile ground from which to grow the novel. Because this story is about a farm working child, and because I used the Mexican proverb, "They tried to bury us, but the they didn't know we were seeds" as a springboard, I took the liberty to use the metaphor of a seed to tease out its multiple meanings.

I did this not only in this poem but throughout the entire story in not so obvious ways. A SEED IN THE SUN'S theme about growing, about resilience, about not underestimating anyone or yourself, it is about the different stages one must go through before we can thrive.


Writing Prompt

Think of a theme or metaphor and write three connected poems that utilize the theme or metaphor you've selected. You can create a simple story and write one poem for the beginning, one for the middle, and one for end. May the poetry muses be ever in your favor.

Aida Salazar

Aida Salazar​ is an award-winning author, arts activist, and translator whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. She is the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade verse novels, The Moon Within (International Latino Book Award Winner); Land of the Cranes (Américas Award, California Library Association Beatty Award, Northern CA Book Award, NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, Jane Addams Peace Honor, International Latino Book Award Honor); as well as A Seed in the Sun (ALA RISE Feminist Book Project Top 10 Book, NCTE Notable Poetry/ Verse Novel Honor, Jane Addams Peace Award Finalist). Her other works include the picture book anthology, In the Spirit of a Dream: 13 Stories of Immigrants of Color; the forthcoming bio picture book Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter (March 7, 2023); and the anthology Calling the Moon: Period Stories by BIPOC Authors (March 28, 2023). Aida is a founding member of LAS MUSAS - a Latinx kidlit author collective. Her story, “By the Light of the Moon,” was adapted into a ballet production by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. She lives with her family of artists in Oakland, CA.

http://www.aidasalazar.com/
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Love Letters to Poetry | The Poetry of Love

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