The speaker initially tries to be the way men want her to be due to intense societal pressure and traditional patriarchal (पितृसत्तात्मक) norms. In many societies, women are expected to conform to roles defined by men rather than choosing their own paths. This conformity made her life feel like an incomplete attempt and a confusing game of hide-and-seek with her true identity, showing how social conditioning forces women to suppress their authentic desires.

The phrase signifies the speaker's firm determination to move forward in life and completely reject outdated, restrictive traditions. Walking backwards represents conforming to the past and accepting patriarchal submission. By stating her feet level on the promissory earth (आश्वासनयुक्त धर्ती) would only advance, she emphasizes her progressive mindset, showing she will no longer let traditional constraints stop her journey toward liberation and self-discovery.

The 'old guards' represent the defenders of traditionalism, conservative societal structures, and patriarchal systems that try to control women's lives. They grow desperate because they see the speaker actively breaking free from their established rules and choosing her own independent path. Their loss of authority over women causes them to attack viciously, using cultural rules as weapons to stop her progressive journey.

The speaker achieves a feeling of intimate liberation (आन्तरिक मुक्ति) by cutting ties with traditional expectations and finding balance within herself. As she detaches from distant familiar horizons, her expression takes an expansion from within. This profound liberation comes from aligning her daily actions with her personal truths, allowing her to live authentically in the present rather than following paths written by others.

The speaker's desire to follow men warps (बङ्गिएको/परिवर्तित भएको) because she realizes that submissive roles completely destroy her authentic self. When heralded at the royal parade of traditional society, her conscience rejects the submissive path. This inner transformation turns her desire to conform into a drive for independence, causing her to reject social praise or homage in order to save her personal freedom.

When the speaker describes playing a 'game of hide and seek with my being', she is highlighting the deep identity crisis caused by social conformity. By trying to fit into patriarchal molds, she was forced to hide her true thoughts, desires, and intelligence while presenting a fake version of herself to please others. This metaphor shows that living under external rules keeps a person constantly running away from their true self. It represents the painful inner conflict women face when society demands they sacrifice their authenticity to fit standard gender roles.

In my view, her back being ripped by the old guards symbolizes the painful emotional, social, and psychological injuries a woman suffers when challenging conservative norms. The desperate flapping wings of the old guard represent traditional society's aggressive attempts to pull her back into submission. Whenever a individual breaks away from centuries-old patriarchal structures, society reacts with criticism, isolation, and backlash (तीव्र प्रतिक्रिया). The imagery of a ripped back shows that achieving freedom is rarely painless; it requires enduring severe hardships inflicted by those who fear social change.

According to the speaker, true freedom feels like a profound internal expansion and a beautiful state of universal belonging. It brings an intimate liberation where one's face shows a defined expression rooted in personal truth rather than external expectations. Being free means living entirely in the present, detached from historical burdens. The speaker describes this state as feeling like a 'blossom of all the soils of the earth', where she exists without restrictive boundaries or edges. It is a harmonious state where life and truth blend perfectly, allowing her to possess herself fully.

The speaker strongly prefers the present because the past is filled with patriarchal traditions, historical restrictions, and systemic oppression that kept women powerless. The past represents the 'old guard' and 'ashes' of outdated ideas that demand obedience. In contrast, the present is made of active 'nows' and dynamic choices, offering a 'promissory earth' filled with potential. By centering herself in the present, she can create her own route and make independent decisions, transforming from an oppressed historical object into an active author of her own destiny.

Julia de Burgos would likely disagree with John Donne's emphasis on absolute social interconnectedness, as society often uses connections to enforce submissive behavior on women. Burgos focuses on self-reliance and the vital need to break away from social expectations to find one's true identity. Regarding my own view, I agree with an integration of both perspectives. While Donne is right that humans depend on society for survival, Burgos is equally correct that individual freedom and self-identity must not be sacrificed for social conformity. True community can only thrive when individual identities are respected.

To me, freedom is the fundamental right to live authentically, make independent choices, and pursue personal growth without fear of external coercion or social conformity. It is not merely the absence of physical restraint, but a profound psychological state where an individual can express their thoughts, creativity, and identity openly. True freedom means being the author of your own life story, choosing your own path, and taking full responsibility for the outcomes.

However, genuine freedom is never absolute; it exists in harmony with social responsibility. As the saying goes, my freedom ends where another person's nose begins. This means true liberty must include respecting the rights and independence of others. In a social context, freedom involves breaking away from unfair stereotypes and traditional prejudices, much like the speaker in Julia de Burgos's poem. It allows both men and women to grow based on their abilities rather than rigid gender roles. Ultimately, my idea of freedom is a balanced state of self-governance where inner peace, personal expression, and mutual respect allow everyone to live with dignity and purpose.

I largely agree with William Faulkner's perspective because human beings are deeply shaped by history, cultural heritage, and their environments. Faulkner's assertion that we labor in webs spun long before our birth accurately describes how our language, social privileges, genetics, and initial worldview are inherited rather than chosen. We cannot completely erase history; our present realities are built directly on past events and consequences.

However, while acknowledging Faulkner's truth about our deeply rooted origins, we must not overlook Julia de Burgos's powerful message of personal agency. While history provides the background of our lives, it should never become an inescapable prison. Human progress relies entirely on our ability to identify restrictive cultural webs—such as systemic discrimination or patriarchal prejudices—and actively break free from them. Therefore, Faulkner correctly describes our starting point within a historical web, but Burgos highlights our capacity to reshape those threads. We cannot change where we come from, but we retain the power to choose where our paths lead next.