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    "Oranges" by Gary Soto-1

    Uploaded by

    Barry Hinton
    This poem describes a young boy's first date with a girl when he was 12 years old. On their walk together on a cold December day, he carries two oranges in his jacket to share with her. When they stop at a drugstore, he can only afford an orange or a nickel for her chocolate, so he quietly sets both down for her to choose. The orange represents the warmth and brightness of his feelings for the girl on an otherwise gray and cold winter day.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    "Oranges" by Gary Soto-1

    Uploaded by

    Barry Hinton
    278 views4 pages
    This poem describes a young boy's first date with a girl when he was 12 years old. On their walk together on a cold December day, he carries two oranges in his jacket to share with her. When they stop at a drugstore, he can only afford an orange or a nickel for her chocolate, so he quietly sets both down for her to choose. The orange represents the warmth and brightness of his feelings for the girl on an otherwise gray and cold winter day.

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    “Oranges” by Gary Soto-1

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    This poem describes a young boy's first date with a girl when he was 12 years old. On their walk together on a cold December day, he carries two oranges in his jacket to share with her. When they stop at a drugstore, he can only afford an orange or a nickel for her chocolate, so he quietly sets both down for her to choose. The orange represents the warmth and brightness of his feelings for the girl on an otherwise gray and cold winter day.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    278 views4 pages

    "Oranges" by Gary Soto-1

    Uploaded by

    Barry Hinton
    This poem describes a young boy's first date with a girl when he was 12 years old. On their walk together on a cold December day, he carries two oranges in his jacket to share with her. When they stop at a drugstore, he can only afford an orange or a nickel for her chocolate, so he quietly sets both down for her to choose. The orange represents the warmth and brightness of his feelings for the girl on an otherwise gray and cold winter day.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    “Oranges” by Gary Soto

    The first time I walked


    With a girl, I was twelve,
    Cold, and weighted down
    With two oranges in my jacket.
    December. Frost cracking
    Beneath my steps, my breath
    Before me, then gone,
    As I walked toward
    Her house, the one whose
    Porch light burned yellow
    Night and day, in any weather.
    A dog barked at me, until
    She came out pulling
    At her gloves, face bright
    With rouge. I smiled,
    Touched her shoulder, and led
    Her down the street, across
    A used car lot and a line
    Of newly planted trees,
    Until we were breathing
    Before a drugstore. We
    Entered, the tiny bell
    Bringing a saleslady
    Down a narrow aisle of goods.
    I turned to the candies
    Tiered like bleachers,
    And asked what she wanted –
    Light in her eyes, a smile
    Starting at the corners
    Of her mouth. I fingered
    A nickel in my pocket,
    And when she lifted a chocolate
    That cost a dime,
    I didn’t say anything.
    I took the nickel from
    My pocket, then an orange,
    And set them quietly on
    The counter. When I looked up,
    The lady’s eyes met mine,
    And held them, knowing
    Very well what it was all
    About.
    Outside,
    A few cars hissing past,
    Fog hanging like old
    Coats between the trees.
    I took my girl’s hand
    In mine for two blocks,
    Then released it to let
    Her unwrap the chocolate.
    I peeled my orange
    That was so bright against
    The gray of December
    That, from some distance,
    Someone might have thought
    I was making a fire in my hands.
    “Oranges” Gary Soto

    1. What is this poem about, both on the surface (plot) and at a deeper level (theme)?

    This poem is about the author going on a date with a girl and buying a chocolate with an orange
    and a nickel. On a deeper level, this poem is about the author wanting to share his love with the
    girl.

    2. What is the single best word in the poem? Explain its importance

    I think that the best word of the poem is fire because it shows that when he is with her he feels
    warm and comfortable. I also noticed that the orange is a symbol for love, love and fire both
    make you feel warm.

    3. Choose what you believe to be the 3 strongest sensory images. In your opinion, why are
    they powerful? How do they contribute to the meaning of the poem?

    1)Someone might have thought I was making a fire in my hands. 2)Her house, the one whose
    porch light burned yellow. 3)And asked what she wanted- Light in her eye, a smile. All three of
    these images are a contrast to the dark and cold December, they are powerful because all of
    the images are something that the author cares about or brightens his day.

    4. What can you infer about the narrator, both as a young man and as an adult? Are the
    narrator and the poet the same person?

    Readers can infer that the narrator is a very compassionate person. He cares about the girl he
    is with when he lets her choose what kind of candy she wants. And wanted to share his love
    with her through the orange.

    5. What did you like or not like about the poem?

    I did not like the poem very much because I don’t really enjoy these types of storylines. Soto’s
    use of symbolism and figurative language is pretty interesting in this poem.

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