Same Song

In the poem, “Same Song”, Pat Mora uses a reflective tone to show how the mother reflects on her children’s views of themselves. It can be seen that the mother is reflecting on her children and how much they care about their appearance when she sees her daughter “stumble into the bathroom at six a. m.” to begin getting ready, and when shes sees her son “jog a mile in the cold dark.” This shows the tone of reflection because the mother reflects on how early her daughter wakes and how her son stays up later to try to improve the way they look. They’re trying to achieve a look like everyone else. A reflective tone is also shown when the daughter and son peer into the “mirror, mirror on the wall” and “frown” in the disappointment they have towards themselves. They reflect on how hard they try to make themselves look how they want by “stroking Aztec blue eye shadow on her eyelids” and “lifting weights in the garage,” but it still isn’t enough for either of them. After making themselves uncomfortable by “squeezing into faded jeans” and “one-handed push-ups and one hundred sit-ups,” the two teenagers still look into the mirror and frown as they reflect on what’s “not fair.”