In Colorado My Father Scoured and Stacked Dishes

“Middle Passage” by Robert Hayden (1941)

Corral acknowledged the influence of Robert Hayden in the development of his own poetic style. Corral admired Hayden’s use of real-time issues and hot-button controversies as well as his dedication to revision and his search for the right words to make the right sonic impact, whatever the subject. Here Hayden examines the brutality of the slave trade in lines that reflect his dedication to sonic patterns and aural effects. 

“Persimmons” by Li-Young Lee (1986)

Often paired with Corral’s “In Colorado,” this translingual poem is part of the movement that first celebrated the cultural diversity of the US in the fin-de-millennium era. Lee, a first-generation Chinese American, uses the poem as a reflection on how all languages work to capture the precious moments found in nature. Like Corral, Lee fuses English with expressions from his native language to suggest the power of language to transcend cultural boundaries.

“Bent Tones” C. D. Wright (1983)

Corral cites C. D. Wright as an important influence, illustrated by her ability to balance moments of beauty, care, and individuality against a backdrop of labor, instability, and systemic challenges. From Wright’s carefully structured free verse, Corral drew inspiration for crafting innovative lineation, fragmented rhythms, subtle consonant and vowel patterns, and energetic enjambment, where lines flow seamlessly into one another without end punctuation.