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Briana's poem analysis of Mass
The poem I chose ‘Mass’ by Cesar Vallejo, connects to the Peruvian culture. Around Vallejo’s time some key events had happened. From 1919 to 1930 a former president was elected for the eleven year rule. His rule enhanced the power of the state to carry out a number of unpopular social and economic reforms. That led to Lequia’s replacement of the Civilista with new middle-class political base that prospered from state contracts and expansion of the government. He cracked down on labor and student militancy, purged the Congress of opposition, and amended the constitution so that he could run for president in 1924 and again in 1929. The poem I chose, ‘Mass’ relates through this Peruvian dilemma by the repeating of the corpse dying. Every time, even when more people need him to come back, the corpse keeps dying. The corpse is a metaphor for Peru and its failure during this time of the Lequia’s eleven year rule. But then during the Depression and World War II Peru’s economy was one of the least affected by the Great Depression because of a relatively diversified range of exports, led by cotton and new industrial metals. This happy breakthrough for Peru is like the end of ‘Mass’. The poem is saying all people then found hope for their country again as they “embraced the first man walk on tiptoe to” as said in the last sentence of the poem.  After thinking there was no hope, the Peruvians finally found that their country was alright and restored. That is how the poem ‘Mass’ related to Peruvian culture.