THE TYPE

ABUSTAN, BOMBITA, CAMBA, PUQUIZ

BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
• Sarah Kay (born June 19, 1988) is an American
poet. Known for her spoken word poetry, Kay is
the founder and co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E.,
founded in 2004, a group dedicated to using
spoken word as an educational and inspirational
tool.
• Kay was born in New York City, New York, to a
Japanese American mother and a Jewish
American father. She has a Master of Arts in
teaching from Brown University, and an honorary
doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell
College
BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR
• "The Type" was published in 2016 and is an
illustrated version of her poem by the same
name (with drawings by Sophia Janowitz as in
her book "B") . Kay is also a resident poet for
The Paris Review where she contributes in a
weekly poetry column titled “Poetry Rx.” In
March 13, 2018, All Our Wild Wonder, a
vibrant tribute to extraordinary educators
and celebrating learning, was released. The
book features illustrations by Sophia
Janowitz.
SUMMARY
• In this poem, the speaker’s address to woman comes as a call of
arms. Throughout, the poem places the ‘you’ as the direct agent
of the verb, the subject that is acting. Thus, the poem strains
against the objectification and mistreatment of women, while
simultaneously striving to give identity to women that is not
limited to ideas of victimization. The final lines emphasize this
call to action, taking a typical anecdote and twisting the
meaning; men usually are the ones who are associated with
building things, but here, it is the woman who does not need to
rely on man in order to build, she is just able to build by herself.
This is played out in the poem’s agency. The woman can ‘let’ the
man look at her, but it is a choice, an action. This claiming of
agency makes this poem very much rooted in defining an
identity. Similarly, it brings to play a social topic of sexuality and
the idea of equality between men and women. The call for action
places this poem directly under the realm of social action.
CHARACTERS
• The poem uses and second and third point of
view. Since the word you, them, they, and etc. are
present from the text. The persona from the
poem is the author herself, Sarah Kay, and as she
uses the word “you”, it means that she is talking
to the readers. And as she uses “them” or “they”,
she is referring to men. For example, from the
first stanza “If you grow up the type of woman
men want to look at, you can let them look at you
but do not mistake eyes for hands or windows or
mirrors. Let them see what a woman looks like.
They may not have ever seen one before.”
SOCIAL ISSUES
• The poem "The Type" by Sarah Kay illustrate the social
issue of identity crisis and also can connect to women
empowerment. This poem is all about a woman's worth,
role and purpose as a woman. This emphasizes that a
person who keeps on finding her place, is always been
within herself. The purpose and role that she keeps on
finding is always within herself because you is you. You
should know yourself before anyone else. This also
emphasizes that you are a woman and should not act
and define yourself as a woman through the eyes and
hands of men but on your own definition. Don't let other
people define you and live with it, live with what you
really are and be confident to express your true self, your
true identity and you always have a purpose. You matter.
 LITERARY DEVICES
• Imagery, it is used to help the readers visualize a
scenario, an object, or even an idea by giving
details that are familiar with our 5 main senses. It
was shown from the line "You are a woman, skin
and bones, veins and nerves, hair and sweat."
wherein the author wrote about typical parts that
would resemble a human body, pointing out
specifically a woman. The readers would use
"sight", one of the 5 main senses to visualize the
image. Another literary device is juxtaposition. It is
used to compare and contrast two or more
different objects, ideas, characters, and etc. to see
the differences between those things.
LITERARY DEVICES
• It was shown from the line "When you fall in love it is
discovering the ocean after years of puddle-jumping."
showing off the difference of value between the ocean
and a puddle. Next is Metonym, it is usually found in
poems, it only substitutes the words, but the meaning
stays the same. It was shown in line "Let the statues
crumble." wherein the word "statues" means the ideal
woman that the men wants. Lastly, Asyndeton, it is used
to emphasize a sentence or phrases by using the words
and, or, but, and for. In this text, it was shown in line "Do
not mistake yourself for a guardian, or a muse, or a
promise, or a victim, or a snack." wherein the word "or"
is used to emphasize that women are not a muse, a
promise, a victim, and a snack.
 ACTIVITY
• There will be two groups, then there will be a
riddle on each paper and the spaces of each
paper is also the answer sheet. The answer will
be found in a box with full of soil. Also, they need
to find some letters; right after they got the
letters they will put in the space provided until
they form a word “Yourself”
REFERENCES
• Muniz, H. (2018, June 21). SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips.
Retrieved from PrepScholar: https://blog.prepscholar.com/list-of-
literary-devices-Sarah Kay (poet). (2019, September 29). Retrieved
from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Kay_(poet).techniques
• Sarah Kay (poet). (2019, September 29). Retrieved from
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Kay_(poet).
• Taking Control Of Identity: Sarah Kay's "The Type". (n.d.). Retrieved
from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/socialjusticepoetry.wordpress.com/2
013/11/23/taking-control-of-identity-sarah-kays-the-type/amp/.