gist of the poem. Come back to the text in order to analyze it for each specific question.

Identity by Julio Noboa

[1] Let them be as flowers, Always watered, fed, guarded, admired, But harnessed to a pot of dirt.

[2] I'd rather be a tall, ugly weed, Clinging on diffs, like an eagle Wind-wavering above high, jagged rocks.

[3] To have broken through the surface of stone, To live, to feel exposed to the madness Of the vast, eternal sky To be swayed by the breezes of an ancient sea, Carrying my soul, my seed, Beyond the mountains of time or into the abyss of the bizarre.

[4] I'd rather be unseen, and if Then shunned by everyone, Than to be a pleasant smelling flower, Growing in clusters in the fertile valley, Where they're praised, handled, and plucked By greedy, human hands.

[5] I'd rather smell of musty, green stench Than of sweet, fragrant lilac. If I could stand alone, strong and free, I'd rather be a tall, ugly weed.

(1 point)

To be free and able to live the way he wants

To be sad and lonely.

To be irresponsible

To have a family to protect him

The gist of the poem is that the speaker would rather be a tall, ugly weed living freely and independently, rather than being a beautiful flower confined to a pot and admired by humans. The speaker values freedom and independence over being praised and handled by others.