Carles Riba's 'Bird Alone': Poet's Role in Society

Carles Riba: "I Was Not More Like a Bird Alone..."

Poetic Metrics and Form

This strophic poem employs a form of accommodation, a technique widely used in the Renaissance but adapted here. Each of the three stanzas combines five Alexandrine verses (enneasyllabic) with a final hexasyllabic verse. The rhyme scheme follows ABBACDDDC.

Structural Analysis of the Poem

The poem is divided into three distinct sections, each corresponding to a stanza:

• In the first part, the poetic "I" expresses a desire to escape loneliness, even using the image of a bird flying over a great river (symbolizing life) to transform from "free water" into something that reaches the city.
• The second part emphasizes life's stresses. The poetic "I" feels less connected to those who evoke happiness or who dwell on their own regrets. This suggests a painful disconnect from shared community sentiments.
• The third part presents two alternatives: either full integration with society (embarking on "blood and senses" through creation or song) or maintaining a solitary existence as a "royal bird," ultimately shot down and becoming a "vanquished rebel" mourned by no one.

It is highly probable that the poem reflects on the poet's role in society, questioning whether one should escape or fully integrate. The poem concludes with unresolved doubt, merely raising the question of how to react to life or the death of feeling.

Central Theme: Poet and Society

The primary theme is the inherent tension between the poet and society. The poet possesses a privileged perspective, internalizing the world and expressing profound personal feelings.

Literary Devices and Riba's Style

• Verse 15: Enriched by memories of past lives, intertwined with personal past images.
• Verses 17 and 18: Feature personification, as "the wave grows and decreases towards the sea."
• Final Section: Employs rhetorical questions.

Carles Riba is renowned as one of the most challenging poets in 20th-century Catalan literature. His work exhibits a high degree of intellectualism, stemming from his approach to post-symbolism or, in some cases, what is known as "pure poetry," which is self-referential. Despite this, his work often addresses profound and long-standing human questions with remarkable vitality.