In this book of poetry titled The Body's Question by Tracy K. Smith, the author attempts to inform her readers by taking a perceptive view. The issues range from adolescence, race, family, adulthood and death. Her primary focus is image in most of these poems. In this paper I will attempt to show the different forms of imagery the author uses in the end of the first chapter under the section entitled "Gospel." The imagery details the immigrants' struggles. In using these five poems I will show the graphic imagery that the author uses to clarify this continuing story. I chose this section of the book because each of the five poems tells a story of someone's journey on their path to freedom. Also the imagery the author uses from the different experiences on that journey brings out the detail of the trials and tribulations these people had to face on their voyage to the United States. My question is, do u feel the images the authors make in reference to their struggles made the poems clearer? I will attempt to answer this question throughout the paper.
             "Gospel" is written from the perspectives of five different illegal Mexican immigrants crossing the boarder into the United States. These poems tell an ongoing story from their escape from Mexico to their arrival in the U.S. and what happened when they finally got there. The first character is named Manuel. Manuel is telling a story of how Mexicans were able to sneak their way into America, leaving the turmoil going on in Mexico. The author tells a story of how they left their homes and their families in search of freedom and better opportunities for them in the United States. The images of the struggles the families had to face are not clearly defined in this poem. However at the end where he says; "He told it in barely a voice at all, almost not wanting to believe" (20). This image of a man speaking with su
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