Summary of I Was My Own Route

In "I Was My Own Route," the speaker Julia de Burgos, a radical feminist rejects the male ideology of determining a female's life and journey in the traditional paths. She associates thought of males to gender inequality and their prejudices for females. 

In the first stanza, the speaker makes it clear that there was a difference between what was wanted of her and what she was. She rejects patriarchal ideology and wishes to kiss a new path of her own, not indulging in a traditional game of hiding and seek. Through this, she talks about her own personal freedom and the liberation of women. She is looking for fresh ways to navigate her journey, choosing her own path, not on the path predetermined or set path by male members of the society. She mocks on these paths and selects a new route of her own choice. This poem makes agenda of gender discrimination as a response to the social inequality that existed at the contemporary time as articulated by Julia de Burgos. 

In the second stanza, the speaker finds many male determined social norms as obstacles in her newly forwarded route but she overcomes all limitations or old determined feet. She says how she was thrown back to perceive the old traditional path with her broken heart with old blogs. 

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In the 3rd stanza, the speaker struggles a lot with a feeling of liberation to balance her own life for walking in the new and truthful path of life. She wants to go far away in the horizons and obtain all sorts of liberation which the male members of the society have already perceived. Therefore, she kisses several new paths to perceive all sorts of freedom and joy in life. 

In the 4th stanza, the persona finds her in an already set situation where there is no history, future, edges and other things except the world and restrictions of men and females under the shadows of males. Patriarchy has put several boundaries for the women to limit them into four walls of the house. Try 'English Notes' She finds her present painful surrounded by several obstacles and traditions formulated by patriarchal society. It projects such earth where seems no hope for women far and far.

In the 5th stanza, the speaker expresses what she was and what the male members of the community wanted me to be. Then, she says that she was everything in herself as she attempts a lot to obtain what she desires to be. In the last or 6th stanza, the speaker turns back to the first stanza and expresses her own attempt to be different from what patriarchal society wanted her to be. The disappointing future makes her very sad and she wills to overcome the painful circumstances of her life though it seems troublesome. Above all, the poem teaches us the moral that both men and women are the members of the same society and they equally require freedom, liberation, independence etc. in their life and they should be allowed to pursue their own paths, not patriarchal society determined paths. 

Theme: I Was My Own Route

 'I was My Own Route' projects the personal freedom and liberation of women. Through this, she also rejects the male ideology of determining a female's life and journey in the traditional paths. She associates thought of males to gender inequality and their prejudices for females. She is looking for a fresh path to navigate her own journey, choosing her own choice of path. She favours the freedom and liberation of women. This poem justifies that both a male and a female are equally significant. Therefore, her life should not be subjected to the beliefs of others since she is provided with the same fundamental rights as males in the constitution. a 

Main Summary 

A precursor to the contemporary Latina/o writers, de Burgos, in her poem “I was my Own Route,” depicts how the women are burdened with the patriarchal ideologies from the past. Therefore, de Burgos urges the women to detach themselves from the past so as to locate their identity within. The poem focuses on the personal freedom and liberation of women. She is looking for fresh ways to navigate her journey, choosing her own path. This poem makes agenda of gender discrimination as a response to the social inequality that existed at the time as articulated by Julia de Burgos (1938). In her home nation, the United States, she tells about her life as an oppressed woman. 

A lady of African origin, she was interested in identifying her own individuality and her ambitions. She desired equal opportunities, privileges, and advantages, and also demanded that these qualities must be present in this sexist and unequal society. This poem proves that a woman should never feel less important than men or that her life should be subject to the beliefs of others since she is not ruled by society. As the poem goes on to say, he Tries 'English Notes' shouldn't play "hide and seek" with her soul. Rather, she has to keep going, even if there are barriers. This poem is thoughtful, with a rebellious nature, as the author expresses a dislike for traditional societal norms. She alone can choose who she is and what she must accomplish. 

The Meaning and Interpretation 

Stanza - I

Presented as a woman refusing to be defined by men, the words highlight the topic of women's liberation as they seek their freedom in the place where they find themselves in society. She placed her feet firmly on the ground, and followed no set route, but selected her own way, her own path. She moved away from the game of portraying the role her own self to "kiss the new routes." 

Stanza - II

In an era when social norms limited the limits of women's behaviour, the poem self recalls how it overcame the frantic flapping of old feet, relating at every step of the trip to the limitations imposed on women. She explains in a heart-broken picture how to throw back her with the old logs that represent the obstacles she is willing to overcome, as painful the process may be. 

Stanza - III 

Here the poetic person frees herself from the tree, from the trunks that have picked her up, detaches herself from the limb and moves away from all that has been taught. That moves away from this excellent domesticating horizon. As "a feeling of freedom" emerges, it begins to see a change in her face that comes from her inner emotions and is followed by "the kiss of the new routes" (the kiss of the new paths). It symbolizes a new balance in life and reality. 

Stanza - IV

The poet is completely aware of who she is, what she represents, and where she wants to go. It looks like a "bud" growing from the earth. It has now its own set of roots, a history that started on soils with little promise for a future. Men have put boundaries on soils without limits. She struck the ground up to plant her own roots, overcome obstacles and trace her way to be herself. 

Stanza -V 

"And I was everything in my life..." the poetic self shows the feeling of strength that comes with choosing to go on towards its own path. It was the ideal chance to connect to your true selves and meet them. Your life is now fully understood and fully independent. Meaning of 6th Stanza Finally, the poetic self comes back to the first verse: "I wanted to be as men wanted me to be: an attempt at life," with the aim of describing in greater detail what it was like. An existence is hidden from itself, a life of disappointing future that she overcame by being conscious of her presence in the present. She transformed her urge to follow these men into a desire to go without any acknowledgement as the messengers disclosed the parade of regulations, roads and restrictions that she would have to follow when they told her. 

Conclusion 

"I was my own my route" indicates dissatisfaction with the rules and limitations of society. This poem encouraged the women of the 30-year-old who fought for their rights to be conscious of three extremely essential factors: their potential as women, their own life and their own feelings. This poem teaches us about independence, freedom, to pursue our own path, even if we have trouble or others don't realize that we are leaving what is expected of us. This poem is still relevant, since contrary to what we think, there is a cultural barrier in many women who cannot take over their lives and don't have the freedom to choose. 

About the Author of Poem "I was My Own Route" 

Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Julia de Burgos (1914-1953) moved to New York, where she worked as a journalist, and then Cuba, where she pursued further studies at the University of Havana. Returning to New York after two years in Cuba, de Burgos, a freedom fighter, served as the art and culture editor for the progressive newspaper Pueblos Hispanos. Predating the Nuyorican poetry movement, de Burgos’ poems deal with themes of women’s liberation and social justice.