Lawrence Ferlinghetti - San Francisco Poems

Ferlinghetti addresses issues of race emerging in the public’s eye, using the smaller cantado of San Francisco to speak on global issues. In “Baseball Canto,” an American tradition is disrupted by “barbarian invaders” (Ferlinghetti 41) who change how the game is watched, played and celebrated. While the images of presented of the minorities are aggressive, they are in no way negative or feared by Ferlinghetti. Ferlinghetti are both violent and beautiful, establishing the “revolution” (43) and “Territorio Libre” (43) as something inevitable and necessary.
In this poem, the introduction of Blacks and Latinos to baseball is met with unease and an attempt to stamp it out with “the backstage panic button” (43). However, their entrance can not be stopped, and their presence makes the San Francisco Giants great. These changes can be extended to the entire San Francisco canto, being the receptor of many people and cultures. Just as the roars from the cheering crowd could not be drowned out by the national anthem, the presence of different people in the nation can not be stamped out by white America. Whether in a sport, a city or larger community, Ferlinghetti makes it clear that the boisterous and energetic arrival of different peoples has too much momentum to be stopped.