Question

In Ortiz Cofer's poem " The Latin Deli", the speaker describes the customers " when they walk down the narrow aisle of her store/reading the labels of packages aloud, as if/they were the names of lost lovers..."(lines25-27). what overall feeling or atmosphere do the sensory details in these lines suggest?

Answer 1

The sensory details in Ortiz Cofer's poem suggest a feeling of nostalgia and longing, as the customers in the deli read labels as if they were recalling past lovers, indicating a deep connection to their cultural and personal past.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the poem The Latin Deli by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the sensory details in the lines "when they walk down the narrow aisle of her store/reading the labels of packages aloud, as if/they were the names of lost lovers..." evoke a feeling of nostalgia and longing. The act of reading the labels aloud, as if recalling past relationships, suggests that the customers are experiencing a deep connection to their cultural past and their personal histories. It paints an atmosphere of wistfulness, where the deli serves as a bridge between the present and their memories, suggesting that the deli is not just a place to purchase goods but a sanctuary for cultural and emotional sustenance.