Putting the poem in perspective

To put the poem in perspective, we offer you a look at the following possible perspectives.

Time or periodical perspective

The poem was written at the end of the 1970s. However, it might have also been inspired by the time the author spent in prison for drug possession. Reflect on the situation of both prisoners and immigrants in the US at that time. Note that starting the 1970s, the number of inmates in the US prisons started to rise exponentially. This also implied that the system was not ready to accommodate all the prisoners in proper conditions. Also, the more criminals placed together, the higher the chances that violence perpetuates in prison.

As far as immigration is concerned, the number of both legal and illegal immigrants also increased in that time period, most of which came from Mexico.

Relevance of the text today

Both the prison system and the treatment of migrants are still issu...