More often than not, poetry explores the human experience in ways that prose cannot. Through different forms and structures, the poet can fully express different aspects of their life. And this debut collection by Diego Báez is no different. In Yaguareté White Báez uses his knowledge of English, Spanish, and Guaraní to give readers a glimpse into his experience as a half-Paraguayan, half white man who grew up in central Illinois.
Readers will learn much about Báez’s unique experiences that many mixed children living in America endure. He stood out like a sore thumb both in his neighborhood and in his visits to his father’s homeland. And through his many pieces in the collection, we see the isolation and self-reflection that results from it.
What I found most fascinating was his use of languages – English, Spanish, and the indigenous language of Guaraní. Only fluent in English, with basic competency in the other two, Báez cleverly demonstrates to readers his frustrations with that – eventually inviting the reader to share his discouragement via his use of language in his poems.
