To name oneself is the first act of both the poet and the revolutionary. When we take away the right to an individual name, we symbolically take away the right to be an individual. Immigration officials did this to refugees; husbands routinely do it to wives.

Summary

This quote highlights the significance of naming oneself as an act of self-expression and empowerment. It suggests that by naming oneself, whether as a poet or a revolutionary, an individual asserts their identity and independence. The quote further resonates by pointing out how taking away someone's right to have an individual name, as done by immigration officials with refugees or husbands with wives, symbolizes stripping away their personhood and the ability to have their own unique existence.

Topics