Thoughts and emotions are often expressed through poetry. Gary Soto wrote “Oranges” in 1985, which was apart of his poetry collection Black Hair. In “Oranges”, Gary Soto uses symbolism and imagery to convey a young boy’s emotions on a first date.
Gary Anthony Soto was born on April 12, 1952 in Fresno, California. Soto’s family were Mexican-American, therefor it was hard to find jobs besides labor. Soto’s father worked in the Sunmaid Raisin Company.When Soto was five, his father was killed in a tragic industrial accident while at work. His death had traumatic effects on Soto. His mother was forced to raise three children on her own. Trying to live was already hard with her husband, and his death made it significantly more difficult.
In Gary