SHELBURNE FALLS — “Having a relationship with your own history” is the essence of poetry, says resident Martín Espada — an essence that shines through in his latest book of poetry, “Jailbreak of Sparrows.”

Espada, originally from Brooklyn, New York, has had a long career as a poet, lawyer and essayist. Much of his work focuses on social justice, tackling the immigration crisis and Latin American politics. Espada, now lives in Shelburne Falls and teaches English and poetry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Espada is holding a launch event for “Jailbreak of Sparrows” at Raven Used Books, 49 Conway St., on Saturday, April 5, at 6 p.m. The poetry collection, containing a total of 48 poems, is split into three sections organized chronologically and thematically.

“There’s a lot going on there. You meet the people who were most important in my life,” Espada said. “And there’s many different voices, some of which are mine, some of which are not.”

The collection’s first section takes readers through Espada’s early years, his adolescence and relationships with his family. One of the most present voices in this section is that of Espada’s father, Frank Espada, best known for his work as a documentary photographer and Puerto Rican activist, who he credits as having a major influence on his life and work to this day. The collection has also helped Espada reconnect with the memory of his father, who died in 2014.

“My father’s influence is very much evident in this collection,” he said. “It is, of course, like reconnecting with him as if he were still here. That’s the stuff of poetry, having a relationship with your own history.”

The second section follows Espada through his years in college and time working as a lawyer in Chelsea. This section features many poems based on real cases where he worked with immigrants from the Caribbean and Central America.

Espada describes the third and final section of the book as “a series of love songs in different voices.” One of the most present voices in this section is Espada’s wife, Lauren Marie Espada, who he said has been a source of inspiration throughout his career.

“She tells a story where she has an experience, I write something down, and then I share it with her, and then ultimately it sees the light of day,” Espada said. “My wife is the source of numerous poems in this collection.”

The book concludes with a poem titled “The iguanas skitter through the cemetery by the sea.” The poem tackles the status of Puerto Rico as one of the oldest colonies in the world, using iguanas as a metaphor for colonialism. Espada deliberately chose to end the book with this poem as it ties the book’s themes together through the Puerto Rican diaspora. Still, despite the fact the book ends with a poem about Puerto Rico, Espada emphasizes that that does not mean the collection solely focuses on the island.

“Puerto Rico is part of the collection, and it begins and ends with poems about the island. But the island is not the primary focus of the book by any means,” he said. “Some people would make the argument that the common denominator is, in fact, love. Whether love takes the form of love of family or love of community or love of a significant other … love is the common denominator there.”

Espada will be reading select poems and signing copies of the collection at the book launch at Raven Used Books. “Jailbreak of Sparrows” will be available for a discounted price at the event.

For more information on Saturday’s event, visit facebook.com/harvardsquareusedbooks. Copies of the book can be purchased at penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724962/jailbreak-of-sparrows-by-martin-espada.