My Tongue is Divided Into Two

By henry.kauhane | Updated: June 13, 2024, 7:25 a.m.

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My Tongue Is Divided Into Two
by Quique Aviles
A Fat Panda Production
Quique Aviles was born in El Salvador but resides in Washington DC
He is a performer, poet, and social activist who supports young Latino and African American Authors
My Tongue is Divied Into Two
Aviles wrote the poem to try to describe the difficulties one who immigrates to America has with language and other aspects of a new culture.
My Tongue Is Divided Into Two with Analysis
My tongue is divided into two
by virtue, coincidence or heaven
words jumping out of my mouth
stepping on each other
enjoying being a voice for a message
expecting conclusions

Aviles explores the difficulty one faces when learning a new language and a new culture.  He speaks about how words seem to jump out of his mouth and his expectations that he is saying the right thing even though he has difficulty with the language.
My tongue is divided into two
into  heavy accent bits of confusion
into miracles and accidents
saying things that hurt the heart
drowning in a language that  lives, jumps,  translates
The poet repeats the opening line, stressing now that he has difficulty with the new language, sometimes resulting in words that are miraculous in their use and other times in accidents that could hurt himself or others.  He compares language to a living thing, something that continues to move, writhes, changes and continues to challenge him.
My tongue is divided by nature
by our crazy nature to triumph and conquer

This tongue is cut up into equal pieces 
one wants to curse and sing out loud
the other simply wants to ask for water
The author further explores the conflict that his new language brings him.  He speaks about his need to master his new language and how at times, he wants to sing and also curse while at other times, he just wants to be able to perform simple tasks.

He continues to emphasize in each stanza that his 
tongue is divided.
My tongue is divided in two
one side likes to party
the other takes refuge in praying

tongue
english of the funny sounds
tongue
funny sounds in english
tongue
sounds funny in english
tongue
in funny english sounds

Once more, the poet points out the duality of his tongue and he explains in terms that may or may not have to do with  just language but the person as his tongue looks to party and pray.  Ambitions that are in contrast to one another.

The next stanza looks at the varied ways English words can be manipulated to be different, another difficult issue for language learners.

My tongue sometimes acts like two
and it goes crazy
not knowing which side should be speaking
which side translating

The tongue is looked at again as two separate parts, acting independently.  Aviles mentions that the tongue goes crazy, trying not only to speak English but then the mind trying to decipher what others are saying to him.  He speaks to the need not only  to learn and speak a new language but to understand that language too.
My tongue is divided into two
a border patrol runs through the middle
frisking words
asking for proper identification
checking for pronunciation

Aviles uses imagery and challenges the reader to look at the tongue as being separated by a border patrol, something that is familiar to many and are often seen with fear.  He compares the struggle with language with being frisked for identification and writes that words much be checked for pronunciation before being used.
My tongue is divided into two
My tongue is divided into two

I like my tongue
it says what feels right
I like my tongue
it says what feels right

In the end, after all the confusion, all the frustration, and all the deliberation, the poet decides that while his tongue is divided in two, he still has positive feelings about his tongue and in the end, his use of language.  He is happy because while it may not say the right thing all the time, it says what feels right.
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My Tongue is Divided Into Two

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