An Anthem | Literary Criticism & Book Review

An Anthem Critical Overview

Under a Soprano Sky is a collection of poetry that explores themes of racial identity and empowerment. These themes are also handled in “An Anthem.” Sanchez also muses on the troubles of modern life, including the loss of her brother from AIDS and the young generations’ ignorance of their heritage as a source of pride and identity. In response to Under a Soprano Sky, Kamili Anderson of Belles Lettres comments that Sanchez “may be the most undeservedly underspoken of contemporary women poets in America.” Anderson calls the collection “hot enough to melt rock” yet “introspective and intricate.” Contrasting Sanchez’s work to that of her peers, Anderson notes, “Few poets write with more succinctness or intensity.” Echoing Anderson’s sentiments is Joanne Veal Gabbin, contributor of a chapter about Sanchez in Southern Women Writers: The New Generation. Gabbin finds that in Under a Soprano Sky,

the mature voice of the poet is...
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