When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities

The title of Chen’s poem, “When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities,” acts as a primer for the content to come. The body of the poem is itself a list of every outcome Chen imagines for his future relationships. The anaphora of the infinitive verb “to be” creates a sense of order within the poem, cataloging every future “possibility” Chen foresees for his life consecutively on the page (Line 1) (see: Literary Devices “Form and Meter,” “Anaphora”).

Despite Chen’s work being autobiographical, he maintains some semblance of privacy by only using the first initial of his specific relation’s names. Across the poem’s 15 stanzas, Chen examines his capacity to be a good friend, son, nephew, brother, and partner for the people in his life, discovering more and more about himself as the poem goes on (see: Themes “Self-Discovery).

Stanzas 1 and 2 discuss platonic friendship. Chen begins with the admission that he wants “to be a good / ex/current friend for R. To be one last // inspired way to get back at R. To be relationship / advice for L” (Lines 1-4). Chen leads with the relationship dynamics of his friendships because of the universality of the experience, aligning himself with his readers from the onset of the poem.