The Poet X: Part III Summary & Analysis

It’s possible to read Father Sean’s reply as either extremely condescending or somewhat supportive, but it suggests either way that he believes Xiomara will have to come to her own conclusions.

Being willing to reprimand Mami for getting angry with Xiomara suggests that Father Sean is truly on Xiomara’s side, even if he can’t guarantee that Mami won’t beat Xiomara again at home. Xiomara’s inability to recognize Father Sean’s support at this point speaks to her fear of Mami and her (understandable) distrust of the church and of Father Sean, since he preaches church doctrine that she finds questionable.

For Mami, Xiomara’s behavior reflects on her and, she believes, makes her look bad. This suggests that she wants to look powerful in front of the congregation no matter what Xiomara wants or needs.

Mami’s comment that Xiomara is like her opens up the possibility that Mami’s past wasn’t as devout and perfect as Xiomara has heard, though it’s also possible that Mami is referring only to her forbidden desire to be a nun. It’s worth noting that forcing Xiomara to be confirmed won’t actually fix anything for Mami; fixating on this only causes pain and suffering for all.

Noting that her hands hurt themselves suggests that on some level, Xiomara recognizes that she’s only hurting herself by remaining silent.

This poem becomes a manifesto of sorts and suggests that Xiomara is coming to new conclusions. She seems to understand that her body isn’t her fault, that Mami is the one causing harm, and that she’s going to continue fighting for what she wants—something that, the novel suggests, will happen as Xiomara becomes increasingly comfortable with her voice.

As before, remaining silent does make Xiomara feel safe and in a cocoon of sorts, but in the long run isolating herself is not how she’ll pull through this. She can only do that by communicating and learning to believe in her voice.

Allowing Xiomara to listen to his show shows Twin using his privilege in a positive way, which suggests that he might stand up for Xiomara and for himself at times—just possibly in ways that Xiomara doesn’t always see or think are meaningful.

Focusing all her energy into writing in her notebook is, given the way that the novel characterizes the written word, an early indicator that Xiomara is starting to heal and make sense of what happened. Even though she’s just writing for herself, she’s able to use it to keep from crying and, in her situation, that’s a big win.

Xiomara’s sense of defeat speaks to the pressure she feels to conform to Mami’s desires and her inability to push back on Mami’s rules. Mami has, in other words, successfully made Xiomara feel entirely powerless.

The fact that Xiomara refuses to use Cody’s name suggests that she has a long way to go when it comes to making people feel respected, especially since so much of her own pain comes from people mispronouncing her name. Twin’s suggestion, meanwhile, shows that he already has a firm grasp of how language can heal, although he finds here that he can’t force Xiomara to heal herself.

Caridad understands that the best thing she can do for Xiomara is to make things feel normal and like nothing happened, even though she may agree with Mami that Xiomara went too far with Aman. Offering Xiomara this support positions her again as a supportive and open friend and reinforces the idea that having differing beliefs doesn’t have to cause strain in close relationships.

Though the phone symbolically suggests that Xiomara can get back to making connections with people, Mami has done a good job of making Xiomara feel entirely alone and unmoored in the world by depriving her of the ability to connect with people for so long.

This memory is another one in which Xiomara presents her childhood as an easier and better time, which reminds the reader again that her issues with Mami began as Xiomara’s body began to grow and develop. Xiomara also recognizes here that she’d remember trauma more than she’d remember being treated kindly—and that Mami was kinder when her children were little.

Important here is that Xiomara knew Aman would listen, a certainty she doesn’t have with others. Mami doesn’t listen to her and she doesn’t believe Twin will get it, which makes Xiomara feel more alone.

The stoop that Xiomara paints in this poem represents choice and safety. It’s a place where she’s more or less protected and safe, but where she can still observe the world going by—and choose how much to interact with it. In this sense, the stoop represents a somewhat idealized version of adolescence, in which Xiomara has both safety and the ability to experiment.

To a teacher, Xiomara’s assignment reads as nothing less than a cry for help and suggests that there’s a lot going on at home. This raises Ms. Galiano’s alarm bells and later, she helps Xiomara get the support she needs.

Here, Xiomara again can’t win: if she stands up for herself or other girls at her lunch table, she’ll get in even more trouble at school and then at home. Because of this, she’s forced to put up with this bullying and feels even more powerless.

Ms. Galiano’s request for a chat allows her to show Xiomara that she genuinely cares, even if Xiomara isn’t thrilled about actually having to talk with her teacher.

The belief that what happens at home stays at home means that Mami essentially ensures that neither of her children will ever ask for help in standing up to her, since the expectation is that they’ll never tell. In this way, Mami creates a home environment in which she can exert control over her children in any way she chooses without fear of having someone else step in—showing again that silence can be dangerous.

This poem begins to indicate that Xiomara is moving forward from what happened and is starting to see a way forward for herself. Suspecting that she could’ve behaved differently with Aman speaks to some growth on her part, as it means that in the future, she may be able to make better, healthier choices with partners.

Isabelle’s forward nature again speaks to the power of being straightforward and speaking one’s mind: she makes Xiomara laugh and puts her at ease by being direct. With this, Xiomara is made to feel more welcome.

Xiomara’s sense of wonder at how different and respectful everyone at poetry club is shows again that language and a safe space to share it can do amazing things. Xiomara is able to learn more about her fellow students in a way that seems less contrived and more truthful than, for example, Ms. Galiano’s first-day icebreaker exercises (since Xiomara didn’t mention meeting anyone then).

Taking the step to read a poem to the group shows that Xiomara is now ready to truly find her voice and begin sharing it with the world. That the club is reassuring gives Xiomara a good experience and teaches her that it’s positive to share.

With this, poetry club becomes the one place where Xiomara feels seen, heard, and appreciated for who she actually is, not who others would like her to be. This suggests that poetry and language allow people to be their true selves, especially when shared with others.

Not wanting to look too happy about Ms. Galiano’s compliment indicates that Xiomara still feels like she needs to put on a show for people and not look too soft, something which will hopefully change as she attends more meetings.

Even though there’s no indication of what poets Xiomara is reading, calling the poem “Hope is a Thing with Wings” is a reference to a poem by Emily Dickinson and suggests that Xiomara is truly becoming a part of the greater poetry community, both past and present. In this situation, language and poetry are able to make Xiomara feel uncharacteristically hopeful.

Ms. Galiano is able to show Xiomara that her words are important and valued by praising her when she does speak. This alludes to the positive effects of listening and of speaking, as Xiomara feels this way nowhere else.

At this point, Xiomara isn’t tied together neatly because she hasn’t yet completed her coming of age journey—but this moment foreshadows how, as she becomes more comfortable writing and performing, she will figure out how to put together all her different aspects.

Xiomara is interested in accepting Isabelle’s offer because, though she doesn’t want to be friends, she met Isabelle in a place where they both had to be vulnerable and supportive. Should Xiomara choose to trust Isabelle, she’ll begin to learn that she can create situations like that outside of poetry club as well.

That Xiomara expects Cody to hurt Twin speaks again to Xiomara’s belief that romance is inevitably violent in some way, especially when men are involved. Twin’s willingness to confide in Xiomara allows the two to begin to repair their relationship, as it suggests that Twin trusts Xiomara enough to share with her what’s actually going on in his life. Going forward, then, Xiomara and Twin can work harder to support each other, knowing it’s possible to do so.

Letting the reader in on Dominican words makes the novel richer and gives the reader more ways to connect with Xiomara and with her experience. In this way, Xiomara shows again how language can be a tool for interpersonal connection and cross-cultural understanding.

In this situation, the open mic represents an evening of escape for both Xiomara and for Twin, showing that one doesn’t have to be a poet themselves to benefit from experiencing poetry.

The long line points to the deep value that this particular space holds in the spoken word poetry scene, and more generally speaks to the power of the poetry—on this night at least, the people there are more interested in connecting over language than anything else.

The way that the host handles Xiomara’s hesitation shows that she understands the kind of fear and pressure that Xiomara feels to perform, and she knows that the best way to help Xiomara is to make her feel supported by every audience member. Though Xiomara can’t fully appreciate this now, this shows her that she has a large community to support her if she wants it.

Everyone’s reaction makes it clear to Xiomara that she does have more than just her poetry club to support her if she wants to continue writing and performing. This makes Xiomara feel more powerful, as she’s beginning to understand that her words have power.

Now that Xiomara has made the connection that she’s not the only one who feels the way she does, she’s already able to look forward and see that others may benefit from hearing her poetry. In this way, she’s learning a healthier way to pass along information and ways of acting than what Mami teaches her.

After her experience at the open mic, Xiomara is more fully able to recognize the power of poetry. Now that she’s aware of how it feels to share her thoughts with others, she recognizes that her poetry can help her as well as others.

Xiomara demonstrates here that in addition to learning that she can perform, she’s also learning how to listen and respond in kind, meaningful ways—which offers hope for her improving her relationships with Aman and with her family, as what she’s learning here can apply elsewhere too.

Getting support from the poetry club helps Xiomara to begin feeling good about herself—and importantly, begins to shift her focus away from her unruly body to the words that she can control and that make her feel powerful.

Even though Xiomara mentions fear specifically as holding her back, she was also held back by the shame she felt about her body and her confusing thoughts. Losing her fear also frees her from some of that shame, while the community she’s now a part of constantly reminds her of why her words—and her body that lets her share those words—are valuable and worth listening to.

While Xiomara doesn’t explain whether she’s not expecting gifts because of what happened with Aman or because she’s just getting older, it’s still telling that Mami has made the effort to get Xiomara something. Mami’s gift then becomes an offering of sorts, as it suggests that Mami may be ready to start moving on from their argument and fostering a better relationship with her daughter.

Noting that the bracelet puts Xiomara one side and Mami on the other is another reminder that Mami doesn’t see Xiomara for who she truly is—she sees Xiomara only for where she meets expectations and then for where she fails to meet them. Despite this, Xiomara also recognizes that this is a peace offering and in this sense, the bracelet says what Mami can’t bring herself to say: that the two of them are connected despite their differences.

The poems that Xiomara talks about writing are, presumably, many of the poems in the novel, which suggests that with some distance from these traumatizing events, Xiomara can edit them with more of a critical eye and a level head. Reciting poems to Twin shows too that they’re working on improving their relationship and being truthful, especially if Xiomara is reading him especially intimate poems like “Ants.”

It’s certainly an amazing feeling for Xiomara to be reminded that she has new friends and a community at school, especially after a long winter break at home. Now, school is becoming a happier place, rather than just a place to be to get her out of the house.

Both Xiomara’s and Twin’s gifts show that they’re at a point where they truly understand each other and want to make the other feel heard and loved, especially since they’re the only ones who will be truly supportive in their family.

Now that Xiomara is part of a wider community, her birthday is better than normal—and her happiness even means that she’s willing to consider talking to Aman again, which suggests that as she becomes more confident, she may also be more willing to speak openly with him about where things went wrong.

The fact that Xiomara’s concern is simply that she doesn’t have a poem to share shows how on top of the world she feels right now. Mami’s voicemail, however, indicates that things are going to get bad quickly, since she presumably found Xiomara’s notebook.

Note that Mami suggests here that Xiomara should be guilty and ashamed of what she wrote, and that guilt and shame are just part of how Xiomara should feel in general. Xiomara’s experiences in poetry club, however, have taught her the opposite: shame holds her back and makes her feel small, while confidence makes her feel important and respected. Mami understands this on some level, hence her attempt to make Xiomara feel small.

That Xiomara even tries to explain herself shows that she’s learned the power of using her words to express herself, though it’s clear that Mami hasn’t had the same kind of education and won’t engage in a real dialogue about the notebook.

When the baby bracelet breaks, Xiomara symbolically breaks free from Mami. Reciting her poems, especially the one about her name and being a warrior, is a way for Xiomara to assert her independence and her right to write poetry, no matter how Mami feels on the matter. At the same time, Mami feels more powerful as she recites Scripture, showing that even the Bible can, for some, provide the same kind of release as Xiomara’s poetry provides her.

This is an important moment for Twin, as this is the first time that he even tries to stand up for Xiomara. This suggests that because he and Xiomara have begun communicating and being truthful with each other, he now understands better what kind of a relationship she wants and how important it is to her that he attempt to defend her in times like these.

Even as Xiomara vows to never write poetry again, these poems show that she’s still using poetry and language to make sense of this trauma—she’s not going to stop, in other words, even if it feels cathartic to say that she is. This also speaks to how alone Xiomara feels, as she clearly doesn’t think her own family will care for her after this incident.

Again, when Twin holds Mami back from chasing Xiomara, he’s showing Xiomara how much he cares about and respects her—he’s willing to put himself in Mami’s line of fire to help her get to safety. Texting Aman, meanwhile, suggests that Xiomara recognizes that now is not the time to be prideful. Now is the time to be honest and ask for help.

Caridad’s kindness and assurances help Xiomara feel as though this supportive friendship will remain, even if everything else is changing and disappearing in front of her eyes. Caridad, then, helps Xiomara understand that they can still be friends, even as Xiomara behaves in a way that Caridad never would.

When Aman shows up for Xiomara, it confirms for Xiomara that she has a community of people—Aman, Twin, Caridad, and poetry club—to care for her when she needs help. Importantly, she built this community by sharing her words with them.

At this point, Xiomara doesn’t have anything to lose since Mami is already so angry with her. Going to Aman’s house is likely the least of her worries, which also speaks to the fact that Xiomara is also beginning to abandon some of her shame in general.

The way that Aman touches and cares for Xiomara shows that it’s not always necessary to communicate verbally to make someone feel loved and cared for. Because Aman is so kind and gentle, he’s able to make Xiomara feel safe in a way that she likely hasn’t felt for a long time.

Now that Xiomara feels more secure in herself, she’s able to enjoy her experience with Aman and not allow shame to cloud her experience and ruin it for her. This shows her that relationships don’t have to be awful in some way—they can be fulfilling and comfortable.

When Xiomara asks Aman to stop, it shows that even if she goes on to say that she’s afraid of the consequences, she is certain enough of herself to feel comfortable asking, rather than letting him keep going unchecked.

Again, Xiomara has to reckon with the new knowledge that refusing sex doesn’t mean that she’s going to be scorned and kicked out—that’s only what she’s learned from Mami and what she’s seen on the street, and it’s not universally true and is in no way healthy. Instead, she now starts to see that she has the power to build the relationship she wants.

Realizing that she needs to gather her thoughts in this situation mirrors the way that Xiomara steadied herself before her open mic performance. The similarities imply that she’ll have a similarly transformative experience here as she did there.

It’s telling that it’s more comfortable for Xiomara to think about what she did sexually than anything else, given that only a few months ago, Xiomara was so conflicted about any kind of physical contact with boys. This makes it clear that she’s no longer ashamed of her body or what she does with it. Now, her most important challenge is to reconcile with Mami.

Just as Xiomara did when she spoke with Father Sean, she begins to see here that Ms. Galiano is a real person and is a role model for her. That Xiomara can make such a transition to crying and telling the whole truth just because Ms. Galiano called home speaks to just how alone Xiomara feels in life right now. It also suggests that Xiomara is beginning to move past the idea that everything that happens at home needs to stay there, especially since she learns here that she can get help and comfort if she speaks up.

Hearing that she can control where her life goes next is so transformative for Xiomara exactly because nobody else, save for Aman, has ever indicated that Xiomara has any say in her life. Hearing this from Ms. Galiano situates Ms. Galiano again as an important mentor in Xiomara’s life, as she reminds Xiomara that she’s in control while also emphasizing the reality that certain things, like talking to Mami, must happen.

The way that Isabelle, Aman, Caridad, Twin, and Ms. Galiano all rally around Xiomara make it clear to Xiomara that there are people in her life who are more than willing to help her—while deciding to ask someone else for help shows that Xiomara is now more comfortable seeking support, not just accepting it when others offer.

Bringing everyone together for the first time is no doubt an odd experience for Xiomara, but it reflects her belief that she’s done feeling so alone and keeping the different aspects of her life so separate. Allowing everyone to be together suggests that going forward, Xiomara will hopefully not have to spend so much time pretending and will instead be able to feel whole and valued for all she is.

Asking for help from Father Sean shows that Father Sean’s attempts to connect with Xiomara and respect her autonomy worked. Because he has such a good relationship with Mami, he’s a perfect person to help facilitate this conversation and teach both Mami and Xiomara that they can truly communicate, not just speak over each other.

Now, Xiomara can apply what she learned with Aman and with Twin to her relationship with Mami. She can now understand that this hug may not be exactly what she wants to hear from Mami, but it can nonetheless communicate things that Mami doesn’t have the communication skills to say outright.

Returning Xiomara’s baby bracelet to her, repaired, is symbolic of Mami and Xiomara’s healing relationship. Even though Xiomara may still see it as representative of the two different parts of her, the fact that it can be repaired offers hope that Xiomara can, someday, achieve a relationship with Mami where Mami’s daughter and Xiomara herself are one and the same. Xiomara’s understanding that Twin is keeping secrets during their counseling sessions also shows that she respects Twin and understands that she can’t force him to speak—he’ll need to tell people when he’s ready and feels safe.

Now that Xiomara is feeling better and is happier and healthier at home, Ms. Galiano is able to make the point that Xiomara has a story to share that will no doubt be compelling and meaningful for others—and that, as a poet, it’s Xiomara’s responsibility to keep putting herself out there so that others can realize they’re not alone. With this, the novel returns to its core theme of language’s power puts Xiomara at a new point in the cycle of communication and empowerment: helping and mentoring others.

The different rules provide both structure and levity for the members of the poetry club, which helps ease fears and helps them feel more secure in what’s going to happen. Xiomara’s rules for herself suggest that she’s taking this seriously and wants to make sure to work on her performance and improve so that she can connect better with others—showing just how far she’s come since her initial reluctance to share her words.

It is worth noting that Mami’s turnaround is somewhat idealistic, as it’s unlikely that an abusive parent like Mami would transition from burning journals to encouraging their child in less than a month. However, Mami’s reaction is still something to strive for, as it shows Mami being a supportive parent to the daughter she has rather trying to turn Xiomara into someone different.

Having a poem written for her for the first time shows Xiomara clearly that Aman is truly there to support her. It’s not the words themselves that matter, since the poem isn’t very good, but the thought behind it makes Xiomara feel loved and appreciated in a way that few others have ever made her feel. With this support, she’s even more ready for the slam later.

The nod to Mami at the end of this poem suggests that Xiomara and Mami have truly begun to move past their differences and now, Mami is a source of support and confidence for Xiomara. Again, this is somewhat idealistic, but it still presents a version of familial support and unity that the novel suggests is worth striving for regardless. The amount of support that Xiomara has in the audience speaks to the power of her words—these people have all moved to support her since the novel started, in large part because she found her voice and learned to connect with them.

Papi’s newfound willingness to speak honestly and happily to Xiomara, as well as his willingness to dance at all, suggests that though Papi has been a pretty quiet character, this has been a major transformative experience for him as well. It’s possible that just as Xiomara is beginning to put together opposing sides of herself, Papi—and for that matter, Mami—may be able to do the same, allowing everyone to come to a happier and more supportive place.

Using a Psalm shows that now, Xiomara has come to terms—at least to a degree—with how to be a part of her church. She now understands that she truly can ask questions and interpret the Bible in a way that makes sense to her and in a way that makes her feel as though she can be a part of the church community, just as she can be a part of the poetry community. Importantly, she doesn’t have to be the same as Mami to be a valid member of the community—what’s important is that she’s there and supportive, and Mami is in return. What’s more, the fact that Xiomara only writes one draft of this assignment shows how she no longer feels the need to separate her true feelings from the words she presents to the world; these different versions of herself have finally become one and the same.