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In reality, I only found ‘Saint Ecuador’ by Stephen Berg at random chance.  Quite fittingly, I found ‘Saint Ecuador’ by after speed scrolling through about 5 pages of other poems.  The only visible part of these poems was the title, and that is what my decision would be based on.  “Ecuador” in a sea of other words stuck out to me, as a country rather than a word or phrase.  This prompted a quick search of what Ecuador is translated to, with the obvious response: Equator.  While it may not be essential to understanding the poem, this search was a critical process in my search for the meaning of this poem.

In the introductory line, the only exclamation point in the whole poem can be found.  As a rare occurrence in poetry paired with explosive diction, the first line begins with a grandiose proclamation: “What a lean boom the name Ecuador makes!”  This introduction blatantly clarifies two of my immediate questions, as Ecuador is stated as a name and is described as having powerful spoken and written effect.  The second line is no different.  The use of ‘loud’ words can be seen again in examples such as “thunder” and “blood.”  This is a reoccurring trend.  In every sentence of the poem, distinct imagery can be separated from every other line in the poem.  This imagery can be grouped into four categories: jungle/natural, explosive/loud, dry/sun, and human imagery.  For example, the first two lines as stated before are both explosive/loud while the third, “a crisp splurge of revelation” pairs with the fourth “at the moment when faith” as human imagery.  The key identifiers in these lines are faith and revelation, both words of religious connotation and connected to human existence.  This is the form of Saint Ecuador, every line separates an idea or a description of an idea, rather than a rhyme scheme or alliteration.  

Though ‘Saint Ecuador’ lacks a rhyme scheme, the poem fills this gap with tempo and change of pace.  As discussed in the last paragraph, each sentence in ‘Saint Ecuador’ can be read as stand alone, with each varying in length.  The main effect of this is a choppy and slow reading, with each sentence seemingly sticking out among the others beside it. This is a conventional form of poems, but I do not believe that it detracts from the overall message proposed by Berg.

Outside of structure, ‘Saint Ecuador’ is about a man lost in the desert.  This is clearly explained with recurring imagery of sand and sun, along with a constant relationship between the main character and a lack and search of water.  The first indication of the main character’s peril begins in line 7 when Berg writes “each guiding well, shaded by an oasis.”  Though not an outright declaration of hardship, line 7 prepares the reader with an image of sanctuary among dead land, which is further elaborated on in the upcoming lines.  Another key detail in line 7 is Berg’s use of the descriptor ‘guiding’.  This indicates that there is more than one well, and that they seem to align with an end destination in mind.  The protagonist’s lost status is further explained by line 9, in which Berg writes “If an old map still told water.”  When paired with the evidence from line 7, line 9 reinforces the notion of a desert journey.  Line 9 directly mentions the need for water, and hints at the possible failure of the map to provide accurate information to find this need. Immediately after, a line of self questioning emerges: “Where is the way home?”  Line 10 suggests that the protagonist regrets the decision to embark on his journey, and as a brief introduction to the topic of regret discussed later in the poem.  Finally, in line 17 Berg directly references the desert when writing “and curtsey to an audience of sand.”  Paired with the previous example along with others, the “audience of sand” described by Berg can be directly connected with the desert.

Other descriptors of the man’s isolation in the desert are the use of plants and natural imagery in order to contrast with the desert landscape, and Berg’s use of distinct and bright colors while describing the surroundings.  

Fittingly, in a poem about isolation and a main character lost in a sea of sand after a map has led them astray, the reader is able to find this character alone in the scorching desert.  Berg’s message can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but most importantly highlights the theme of being lost, in this case in the desert, but more importantly in all facets of life.