Arcoiris Paranoico by Jose Aburto is interesting in its physical depictions because it is the physical representation of the title. The background being black but then when you move your mouse around it reveals a rainbow pattern but does not stay this way, which is where the paranoia takes part. The fact that it does not stay makes the reader have to constantly swipe around the page frantically. This is the paranoia of having to quickly read it before it goes away. Also th fact that the actual outlines of the reveals are not smooth but choppy adds to the stress of it. The choice of a rainbow correlates with the poem in that the poem is set in the Spring where they are more likely to return. They are also symbols of hope after a hard time similar to how they appear after rain, suggesting that the media excessive media usage is the rain while the rainbow is coming which is going back to real connections with your surroundings.
The poem itself advocates for unplugging and pay attention to your environment. Similar to the ideals in The Circle when Mae goes to kayak and she is unaware of what is in the water and she doesn’t care to know. The poem talks about “try[ing] to cover a Spring with a finger” this could be figurative language for being on technology and using your fingers instead of engaging in nature. Spring is symbolic of new beginnings.The rest of the poem describes beyond the nature but also family life, I don’t think it is a random family but rather by “not knowing” whose house it is or the kids or the woman he means not knowing them beyond the surface. Aburto wants people to detach from media and get to know the people, nature, and physical things around them.
Sydney White 
I’m glad that you picked up on the fact that moving your mouse quickly adds to the anxious feel of the poem which is aptly titled “Paranoid Rainbow.” The fact that the color and, subsequently, the words, disappear, hints at the transience of seasons, rainbows, the status quo, etc. This can really be interpreted many different ways. I really liked your interpretation of the poem as a call to reduce our dependency on technology. That is one interpretation that my group and I did not think of, but I believe that it is a very interesting point of view. A lot of times, without our devices in our hands, we may feel disconnected from the world, as if we are “in the dark,” just like the text of the poem is kept in the dark. Dr. Kaouk mentioned that when the speaker realizes that he “doesn’t know whose house this is,” that it could be a moment of looking around and wondering how he got to that point in his life. In this way, he could have just been distracted by daily activities and technology that he did not take the time to stop and observe the path his life was taking.
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