"Where I Come From" starts with a clear statement of its core idea: "People are made of places." In other words, the place where someone "Come[s] From" isn't just an incidental part of their history. It defines and shapes them, and it never leaves them, no matter how far they travel. The alliteration between "People" and "places" binds these two words together, underscoring how inseparable place and identity are.
Metaphorically, people "carry with them" these "hints" of where they're from—these little clues or signals, which aren't always especially obvious. Environments as varied as "jungles or mountains" show up in the personalities of their inhabitants. For example, a tropical place (somewhere with consistently warm weather) might grant someone "a tropic grace." This might mean a physical grace or an easygoing, relaxed character or way of being. (It's easier to become both relaxed and athletic in climates that are sunny, beautiful, and friendly to outdoor activities.)
In a similar way, "sea-gazers" might look at the world with "cool eyes." The cool temperature of the sea and sea-breeze might change how coastal people view life, limiting the sunny optimism that warmer places encourage. The sea is also a kind of paradox, always changing yet always the same, so staring at it might give coastal people a "cool," detached wisdom about the nature of existence.
The speaker doesn't tell the reader precisely how such places make people. The poem is more of an invitation to consider the idea—including how it applies to them and people they know.
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