Irony of Martin Espada's Poem 'Bully'

In ‘Bully’ Martin Espada uses the first stanza to introduce the theme of his poem. “In the school auditorium/the Theodore Roosevelt statue/is nostalgic” (lines 1-3). The statue described emanates a nostalgia for the Spanish-American war, which was considered by many to be a morally reprehensible act of hate upon Hispanic people. The author of the poem, Martin Espada, was introduced early on to political activism by his father, Frank Espada, who was a leader in the Puerto Rican community and the civil rights movement. Martin Espada dedicated much of his life’s work to social injustice and Latino rights. He has received countless awards for his literary works being the first Latino recipient of some. Puerto Rico is frequently featured in his work as a theme, which is the case in his poem ‘Bully’. The poem uses a statue of Theodore Roosevelt to symbolize white society and the children of the school to symbolize the Hispanic community. The most effective and persuasive literary elements in this poem are the layers of situational irony which are intensified by the use of symbolism.

Situational irony describes events happening in a way that is opposite of what the reader would expect to happen. In the poem ‘Bully’ Espada describes the Hispanic people, portrayed by the school children, acting out against white society, symbolized by the Roosevelt statue. The way Espada describes the statue and school in such great detail suggest perhaps he attended the school or maybe taught there. Roosevelt is introduced as a brave soldier and politician in the first stanza by Espada: “each fist lonely for a saber, /or the reigns of anguished-eyed horses, /or a podium to clatter with speeches” (5-7). This signifies the Latino children’s longing to have the same tools that Roosevelt and his men used against their people during the Spanish-American war. Espada continues “glorying in the malaria of conquest” (8). The mention of the phrase ‘malaria of conquest’ refers to how Roosevelt used force to overtake the Spanish during the war. He was like a disease killing and conquering them. This first stanza has a serious tone reflecting upon the overall theme of the poem. It introduces the reader to the malicious bully Theodore Roosevelt just before an ironic turn of events.

A bully is defined as a person “who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller, or in some way vulnerable” (Merriam-Webster.com). This word, used as the title, is given meaning through each stanza of the poem. Theodore Roosevelt was truly a bully during the Spanish-American war. There are contrasting beliefs on Roosevelt’s ethnocentricity and his reasoning for invading the Caribbean with that of the desegregation movement in Boston in the 1960s. This is emphasized as Espada writes, “but now the Roosevelt school/ is pronounced Hernandez/ Puerto Rico has invaded Roosevelt/ with its army of Spanish singing children” (9-12). This part of the second stanza is ironic because during the Spanish-American war Roosevelt attacked the smaller, weaker Spanish naval ships with his big strong US Navy vessels. Now, almost a century later, the same people Roosevelt attacked and bullied are returning the favor by taking over the school named in his honor. The word ‘invaded’ is played with using layers of irony that incriminate the representation of American nationalism. Espada uses racist metaphors similar to those of white supremacists, who use metaphors to convey their apprehensions to immigration in a similar ‘invasion’ of America by the same Latino people Roosevelt tried to conquer. Espada continues, “Brown children devouring/the stockpiles of the cafeteria” (14-15). This description really brings out the imagery in the poem and allows the reader to imagine the small brown children eating in the school cafeteria. Espada goes on to write about the “children painting Taino ancestors that leap across the murals” (16-17). Now, the reader can picture the children proudly painting their ancestors on the wall. A visualization is created of these painted characters leaping with joy in the murals, the joy of knowing that they now have their own victory taking over the school. It’s also important to know that the Taino tribe that is mentioned here were not only descendants of the Puerto Rican people but, also the first known indigenous people in America to be discovered by Christopher Columbus. This implies that the Puerto Rican people are descendants of the original people of America. So, what right does Roosevelt have to conquer them?

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Espada elaborates on the theme of the poem in the third stanza criticizing the hate and ethnocentricity of Theodore Roosevelt. “Roosevelt is surrounded/ by all the faces/he ever shoved and eugenic spite” (18-20). There is irony here since now Roosevelt is surrounded and about to be conquered by the same people he attacked during the war. By using the word ‘eugenic’ Espada seems to speculate that Roosevelt had tendencies similar to those of the Nazis. He continues “and cursed as mongrels, skin of one race, /hair and cheekbones of another” (21-22). Roosevelt’s racist ideas were malicious and cruel as we look at this vulgar description of ‘mongrels’. Roosevelt saw these people of color as inferior. It’s ironic that Roosevelt had such negative ideas about immigrants considering that he himself was a descendent of Dutch immigrants. This is just a reminder of the needless and wasted energies of racism in general, especially in America. We are all immigrants besides the few Native Americans that originated here. Many people in America wonder if there will ever be an end to the systematic racism and hate that is still sweeping across the nation.

There’s a sort of victory for the children at the end of the poem who “plot to spray graffiti/in brilliant parrot colors across the Victorian mustache/and monocle” (24-26). The brilliant colors are symbolic to a hopeful colorful youth that accepts one another, and the spraying of graffiti to cover up the statue symbolically ends racism. The word Victorian may have been used to refer to the social class of Roosevelt. This part of stanza four is ironic because the people that Roosevelt considered a lower class have now officially taken over his school and the statue symbolically conquering racism against Latinos.

The poem brings light to an issue of immense significance during the era of Theodore Roosevelt and in modern times. Immigration is still a substantial and important issue today, and racism is still thriving against both black and brown people in America, The irony and symbolism that Estrada uses in his poem make the reader look at himself and America in a different light. Many Latino people struggle to survive coming to America hoping for a better life. They are often separated from their families and some even locked in small rooms and cages, barely given the essentials for survival. In the poem these people fought against Theodore Roosevelt and now, they fight against a new bully.

Works Cited

1. Espada, Martin. ‘Bully’ Literature for Composition: An Introduction to Literature. 10th Ed. Sylvan Barnett, William Burto, William E. Cain and Pearson, 2014, pp.207-208.
2. Bully. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully