Analysis of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's Rhyme VII

Rhyme VII: Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

This commentary examines Rhyme VII by the Sevillian poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Within the series of poems often grouped together, Rhyme VII belongs to the first collection, in which the poet reflects on the nature of poetry itself. This series ranges from Rhyme I to Rhyme XI.

Bécquer's work is situated within the post-romantic movement, characterized by simplicity, melancholy, and specific thematic and vocabulary choices.

Theme

The theme of this rhyme is a reflection on art itself and the potential that resides within every individual. To awaken the art that everyone possesses, one requires external assistance. The author illustrates this using two metaphors:

• A musical instrument (which requires a player).
• The Gospel passage of Christ commanding Lazarus to rise.

Structure

The poem consists of twelve verses, grouped into three quatrains of decasyllabic lines with assonant rhyme, except for the final line, which has a shorter meter. This last verse serves as a summary of the three preceding stanzas.

The rhyme can be divided into two parts:

• Development and Introduction: The first two stanzas provide a detailed description of the harp as a symbol of art.
• Completion: The final stanza shifts from objective description to subjective arguments regarding the artist's need for external inspiration to manifest their art.

Style

Several stylistic elements define this work:

• Verb Tenses: The first stanza is dominated by imperfect verbs (e.g., forgotten, could be seen), while the second and third stanzas utilize the present tense to identify ongoing actions (e.g., sleep, knows).
• Hyperbaton: The poem begins with a clear hyperbaton to set the scene: "From the dark corner" instead of "In the dark corner of the room."
• Personification: The harp is personified as a silent, dusty symbol of art.
• Imagery: The second stanza compares the harp to a bird sleeping in the branches, waiting for the "hand of snow" (the artist) to awaken the art within.
• Biblical Allusion: The third stanza begins with an exclamation ("Ah!") lamenting the lack of mutual human support, concluding with the Gospel reference to Christ raising Lazarus.