Bécquer's Rima XXIV: Analysis of Passionate Fusion and Symbolism

Rima XXIV: 'Two Tongues of Red Fire'

Subject and Core Theme

The central subject is joyful love, expressed through passionate poetry. Love is presented as the foundation of Bécquer's work. This poem specifically refers to the reciprocity between two souls, observed and mirrored by nature.

Fusion of the Poet and the Beloved

The poem speaks of the fusion between the loving poet and his beloved, comparing this union with the way elements in nature coalesce.

Structure of Rima XXIV

The poem can be divided into two main parts:

1. Part 1 (Verses 1–4): Focuses on elements of nature that coalesce:

   • Two tongues of fire
   • Two notes
   • Two waves

2. Part 2 (Stanza 5): Presents three images of the same type (ideas, kisses, echoes) in real terms, culminating in the declaration: "our two souls destined to join."

Commentary and Literary Devices

The metaphors used allude to the semantic field of hope and love, focusing on the union of two beings. Natural elements are used symbolically: the fire (Verse 1), the waves on the beach (Verse 3), and steam (Verse 4) are used to evoke the desired union of the two souls. Bécquer refers to the eyes as the mirror of the soul.

Key Literary Devices in Rima XXIV

• Anaphora: The most prominent device is the repetition of the word "two." This anaphora reinforces the central theme of the union of two souls (Bécquer and his beloved). It leads the first four stanzas and is reiterated in the first three verses of the fifth stanza.

• Epiphora: The repetition of "two" in the final verse of the fifth stanza acts as an epiphora, culminating the central idea.

• Metaphorical Comparisons: In representing the souls and the love between them, Bécquer compares the union with embodied elements:

  • Tongues of fire that kiss
  • Notes that embrace
  • Waves that die
  • Echoes that are confused

• Epithets: Bécquer employs epithets twice: "red tongues of fire" and "white cloud."

• Hyperbaton: Inverted word order appears constantly, changing the structure of many verses.

Bécquer's Lyrical Style

Bécquer's lyrical style is characterized by its simplicity, denudation, transparency, and restraint. The tone is intimate, hesitant, and blurred. There is a total lack of rhetorical, conceptual, or ideological intentions. Bécquer excels in his ability to suggest, drawing the reader's imagination with slight hints.

His lyricism is classified as symbolist, identifying nature with the poet's state of mind and relating physical elements to surrounding feelings. He transforms elements into symbols to try to express the ineffable. All his effort seeks to shed accessories and condense the poem, reducing its loudness and brightness to achieve a soft, melancholy solitude.

To create this intimate poetry, full of suggestive and veiled lines, he utilized his own skepticism regarding language. The verbal instrument seems insufficient for direct communication; it is only possible to suggest rather than express directly.

Metric Analysis

The meter is octosyllabic (minor art). The rhyme scheme uses assonance in the even-numbered verses, while the odd-numbered verses are free.