This is poem about so many different things. The speaker explores the subject matter of what it means to have a to study in a world where she feels so much more is happening. She uses a distinct and personal style to bring the reader closer to her psyche. It is interesting and useful the way in which she uses parenthesis to clue us into a whole point of view. She quickly lets her mind wander, and shows us this action beautifully. It wanders to the fourth of july and the festivities of her family. There is an important shift when the language of violence it brought in. It begins with the claim “I still don’t know the meaning of the Fourth of July”. The following words are thinly veiled accusations against the violence of the world. We are quickly thrown back into childhood memories which is mind spinning and causes us to question our own beliefs.
Then time shifts to the speaker sitting at their desks, and we are brought back to extreme modern day with the references to the violence in Syria. The lines that follow are cynical and beautiful. They show the pondering nature of youth the wonder what the point is anyways? She asks why she is proud to be an American especially given the latest stories of the news. None of this cynicism is misplaced and the speaker uses the appropriate amount of angst to prove her point.
Overall it is a poem filled with an impressive colloquial tone, which draws the reader into the very inner thoughts of the speaker and at the end it is a powerful social commentary on what we deserve and why we deserve it. Additionally, reading it horizontally is poetic as well even if it isn’t meant to be read that way, it sparks a lot of thoughts as well.