Spoken Word Artist Denice Frohman Explores Identity Through Text

My mom holds her accent like a shotgun” (Frohman, “Accents” 1). This is the first line of Denice Frohman’s poem, “Accents.”  If we assume that the old saying, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, is true, it should come as no surprise that Frohman holds her pride for her culture in a similar manner. Go to one of her poetry performances, and you are sure to get a detailed look into the world that has crafted who Denice Frohman is today.  Through spoken word, she is able to express the respect she has for her family’s ethnic background, the value she holds in interpersonal relationships, and her precise understanding of her own identity. Frohman’s inclusion of traditional latino cultural references in her narrative poetry demonstrates the need she feels to share her heritage with others.

 Frohman specifically tells stories of her traditional latino family in her narrative poetry. In her poems, “Accents”, “Borders”, and “Abuela’s Dance”, she explores how the time she spent with her family and the relationships she formed have affected how she views the world as an adult today. One of the most prominent cultural references in Frohman’s poetry is her inclusion of the Spanish language. She expresses the value she finds in unique language on multiple occasions. In her poem, “Accents”,  Frohman discusses her mother’s accent and praises its authenticity. She depicts her mother as a strong, confident women, describing her tongue as “all brass knuckle slipping in between her lips” (Frohman, “Accents” 3). She makes sure her audience understands that her mother is not one to be silenced and that “her voice is one size better fit all”(Frohman, “Accents” 11). She praises the validity of the latino culture that rings from her mother’s tongue even when speaking English. She says it is English “remixed” so that “‘strawberry’ becomes ‘eh-strawbeddy’”(Frohman, “Accents” 16).

While Frohman finds pride in the way her mother speaks, she recognizes that to some, it is seen as a limitation and that because of it, she will never be seen as more than a minority by many.  She finds comfort in knowing that what might be seen as a handicap by some is what preserves her family’s culture. She uses imagery to depict this, stating that her “mama’s tongue is a telegram from her mother” and that “her accent is a stubborn compass always pointing her towards home” (Frohman, “Accents” 47).