Problems with Hurricanes

“Problems with Hurricanes” opens with the image of the “campesino,” which is the only Spanish word in the entire poem. This opening sets the scene, and even the use of the word “campesino” has some important connotations for the poem. “Campesino” usually refers to a peasant or tenant farmer. The campesino in this poem appears to be older and speaks with a kind of folk wisdom. He explicitly acknowledges the dangers of nature, suggesting his close familiarity with it: “If the wind picked you up / and slammed you” (Lines 15-16). He honors nature when he takes his hat off, “[a]s a sign of respect / toward the fury of the wind” (Lines 26-27), and he speaks of the importance of honor, legacy, and the stories passed down by families. The campesino seems wise and experienced, and the knowledge he presents about fruit being more dangerous than hurricanes comes across more as a parable than as literal advice. This is not the kind of wisdom one would find in a textbook or a school, this is folk wisdom—the kind of wisdom that has been learned and taught over the course of generations.