18 pages • 36 minutes read
Juan Felipe HerreraSocial Distancing
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Sun
Perhaps the most obvious symbol in “Social Distancing” is the sun, which is the physical shape of the poem. Though only subtly referenced in Line 3 (“flaring stars create another star”), the use of the sun as a symbol in the poem is a critical part of the overall meaning. Herrera published the poem at a time when the wider sociopolitical context of the United States could be metaphorically described as dark. Suns, and light, are often used as symbols of optimism, hope, and change. By creating a poem in the shape of the sun, Herrera suggests that contained within the poem are the tools to gain that light (or dawn). The reading of the poem forces the reader into the sun itself—each line a ray, the center a bright light of “healing” (Line 13) that is beginning.
Crashes, Falls, Explosions
Several lines of the poem reference what could be seen as violent actions, though the overall tone of the poem isn’t aggressive or angry. Line 2 describes a person who could “crash into the toy section” while in Line 6 “a chile bowl will wreak havoc.” Additionally, Line 3 implies the explosion of a “flaring star.” Each of these images is tempered by something positive: the “toy section,” “a chile bowl” and “stars.” The motif of these crashing physical actions is important as it relates to the sweeping philosophical statements about things like trust and peace. The motion of the literal world is contrasted with “blossom[ing]” (Line 7) freedom and “love flourish[ing]” (Line 12).
Movement
A muted but important motif in Herrera’s poem is the way movement functions—both in terms of the meaning of the piece as well as the structure. Each of Herrera’s lines, even the shortest one, uses a verb; the lack of enjambment and punctuation make it so that the movement contained in each line is forced to the reader’s attention. The choice to structure the poem in this way helps make it easier for readers to try reading it in different ways, since each line both stands on its own and seemingly connects to other lines in many directions. Additionally, the movement helps with the suggestion that the poem is leading towards a new, more positive social reality: At no point does the reader have to stop reading the poem or come to a concluding place. Many of the key abstract statements—like “peace opens” (Line 9) or “love flourishes” (Line 12)—rely on the movement they contain, implying that a motion forward is necessary and possible.
