Rubén Darío's I Pursue a Form: Modernist Poetry Analysis

I Pursue a Form by Rubén Darío

I pursue a form that is not my style,
a bud of thought that seeks to be the rose;
it is announced with a kiss that on my lips settles
the impossible embrace of the Venus de Milo.

Green palms adorn the white colonnade;
the stars have foretold me the vision of the Goddess;
and in my soul rests the light as it lies,
the bird of the moon on a calm lake.

And I find nothing but the word that flees;
the initiation of the flute melody that flows;
the boat that sleeps in space as it vogues;

and under the window of my Sleeping Beauty,
the continuous sob of the fountain's stream,
and the great white swan's neck that questions me.

Rubén Darío. Prosas Profanas and Other Poems.

Context and Theme

This poem, entitled "I Pursue a Form," is part of Prosas Profanas and Other Poems by Rubén Darío. This work was published after Azul... (1888), the collection that led the author to international success.

The central theme of this poem is the search—a chase, as the title suggests from the very beginning. It represents the poet's struggle to capture the ideal form of expression and artistic perfection.

Structure and Versification

The poem is a sonnet consisting of two quatrains and two tercets. It primarily utilizes Alexandrine verses, except for the first verse of the first tercet: "And I find nothing but the word that flees," which is composed of heroic verse. This metrical shift indicates a transition from the quatrains to the tercets, signaling a change in content. While the first two quatrains reflect a sense of false hope, the rhyme scheme follows an ABBA, ABBA / CCD, DDC pattern.

Imagery and Symbolism

The poem can be divided according to the imagery it reflects:

• The First Part: In the two quatrains mentioned above, the poet mentions the Venus de Milo. As a statue missing its arms, she cannot provide a hug; the "impossible embrace of Venus de Milo" reveals an image of false hope.
• The Second Part: The following two tercets depict a hunt for something that escapes, as if the path to a brief form is constantly out of reach: "And I find nothing but the word that flees." At the end of the second tercet, we find a quintessential symbol of Modernism: the swan. While usually assigned to beauty, in this case, its long neck mimics a question mark: "the great white swan's neck that questions me."

Stylistic Resources

Several stylistic devices can be found within the text:

• Comparison: "And in my soul rests the light as the bird of the moon rests on a calm lake."
• Personification: Used to give life to an inanimate object, such as the "bud of thought that seeks to be the rose."
• Metaphor: "Under the window of my Sleeping Beauty."
• Irony: A touch of irony is found in the verse regarding the "impossible embrace of Venus de Milo."

Conclusion

In conclusion, the theme of this poem is the inner search for a specific style or way of thinking. As Darío writes: "I pursue a form that is not my style / A bud of thought that seeks to be the rose." It is a testament to the eternal quest for the perfect word.