Class 12 English Lesson 10 Poem: I Was on My Own Route by Julia de Burgos Literature Section
Lesson 3 The Poem ‘I Was on My Own Route’ by Julia de Burgos
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About the poet
Julia de Burgos was born in Carolina, (1914-1953) and moved to New York, where she worked as a journalist, and then Cuba, where she pursued further studies at the University of Havana. Returning to New York after two years in Cuba, de Burgos, a freedom f ighter, served as the art and culture editor for the progressive newspaper Pueblos Hispanos.
Theme of the Poem
The poem 'I Was My Own Route' concentrates on the personal freedom and liberation of women. She is looking for fresh ways to handle her journey, choosing her own path. This poem makes agenda of gender discrimination as a response to the social inequality that existed at the time as uttered by Julia de Burgos. she voices her frustration with social expectations of femininity through a split or double consciousness, suggesting postmodernist ideas of identity as performance.
Summary of the poem
The poem "I Was My Own Route" has been composed by Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. This poem depicts how women are burdened with patriarchal ideologies from the past. Therefore, de Burgos urges the women to detach themselves from the past to locate their identity within. This poem has presented the desire for the intimate and deep liberation of women. This poem is based on feministic ideas where we can find rebels done by a woman against the social injustice of the contemporary time.
Here, her steps against patriarchal norms and values present her as a radical feminist. She seems quite frustrated with male domination. She expresses her desire to protest patriarchal ideologies and move to her new path of intimate liberation. The speaker as a woman seems quite determined in her resolution. She shares her feelings about living her life under patriarchal norms and values. She suffers a lot under a so-called patriarchal society where her identity itself was similar to the game of hide and seek. She wanted to be what men wanted her to be. To get rid of this burden, she chooses her new path mocking her past life under patriarchal ideology. She moves ahead with a strong promise not to step backwards. During her advancing steps, she faces various obstacles regarding patriarchal norms and values. Her past becomes her obstacle.
Her new route is quite different from that of her old route. Here she finds her route quite flexible to move on. She feels joyous and intimate liberation. She feels like a blossom that can freely grow in any part of the earth. She feels quite easy in her life without the restrictions of patriarchal ideologies. She realises the meaning of life within herself. At last, her feelings to follow patriarchal ideology warp within her and she prefers not to follow those norms and values which obliged her to live identity-less life. She feels that her protest against patriarchal norms and values will certainly bring a kind of huge respect to her.
Stanza-wise Elaboration of Poem
First Stanza
I wanted to be like men wanted me to be…
…kiss of new paths.
The speaker begins by explaining how she once tried to live as others expected. “Men” here symbolizes society, which often forces women to fit certain roles. At first, she tries to please these expectations, but her true nature—her “nows,” meaning her present, alive self—cannot go backward into the old ways. Her spirit is restless and forward-moving. Despite the pressure to conform, she follows her own path, seeking new possibilities and experiences instead of staying trapped by the past.
Second Stanza
At each
advancing step on my route forward…
…of the old guard.
As the speaker moves forward, she faces strong resistance from “the old guard”—those who want to maintain traditional roles and ideas. Their attacks, symbolized by desperate wings, try to pull her back. Every step toward independence feels like a battle. But despite the pain, she keeps going. The “back ripped” line shows the emotional and social toll of breaking free. Yet, with each new experience, her determination grows. The old world struggles in vain to stop her, but her desire for freedom proves stronger than their desperate efforts.
Third Stanza
But the branch was unpinned forever…
…of the new paths.
Once she starts her journey, there is no turning back—“the branch was unpinned forever.” Every hardship makes her stronger and clearer in her purpose. Her “look” shifts toward the future, away from old familiar ideas. She begins to embody her new self openly—her face reflects an inner change. This “intimate liberation” is not just outer freedom, but deep personal peace and confidence. Each step forward creates a balance between her authentic life and the new opportunities she embraces. She now walks her path proudly, with clarity and inner strength.
Fourth Stanza
Already my course now set in the present…
…all the men and all the epochs.
Firmly walking her own path, the speaker feels connected to everyone—past, present, and future. She belongs to “all the soils of the earth,” meaning she is not limited by one place, time, or role. Her identity is broad, inclusive, and timeless. She stands for humanity, free from labels or narrow definitions. This is a vision of universal equality: all people, all times, all places are part of her journey. By choosing her own path, she reaches a sense of unity and shared experience with the wider world.
Fifth Stanza
And I was all in me as was life in me…
…left waiting for me.
In the final stanza, the speaker returns to her earlier reflection—how she once tried to meet others’ expectations. But now she knows herself deeply: “I was all in me.” Her life is self-defined and full. When traditional voices (“the heralds”) call her back to conform, she no longer responds. Their ceremonies and expectations no longer interest her. Her freedom has changed her so completely that she can no longer play the old game. She ends on a triumphant note: self-aware, liberated, and fully in control of her life.
Understanding the text: Answer the following questions.
a. Why did the speaker try to be the way men wanted her to be?
The speaker tried to be the way men wanted her to be because she had no options left. Contemporary society was quite rigid with male ideologies where she had to follow men's route and move according to their norms and values.
b. What do you understand by her feet ‘would not accept walking backwards’?
By her feet 'would not accept walking backwards', I understand the firm resolution of the speaker to move her feet forward towards her new paths where there would be no obstacles regarding patriarchal norms and values. Her feet wouldn't accept backwards on her way ahead.
c. Who are the old guards? Why did they grow desperate?
The old guards are those traditionalists who conserve patriarchal norms and values. They grow desperate to find the speaker's protest against them. They found the violation of patriarchal norms and values by the speaker.
d. How did the speaker have ‘a feeling of intimate liberation’?
The speaker had 'a feeling of intimate liberation' by her act of choosing her new paths which are quite separated from familiar patriarchal norms and values. Being away from patriarchal ideologies, she had a joyous feeling of intimate liberation that flows from the balance between her life and the truth of the route she has chosen.
e. Why did the speaker’s desire to follow men warp in her?
The speaker's desire to follow men warp in her because she was familiar with so-called patriarchal ideologies. She suffered a lot under the men and her identity was even crushed. Her desire to follow men turned into hatred and she moved forward on her new path protesting patriarchal norms and values.
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