Spanish Poets: Lorca, Salinas, Guillén Analysis

Federico García Lorca

Gypsy Ballads: Romance of the Black Sorrow

This poem from Gypsy Ballads (Romancero Gitano), specifically the "Romance de la Pena Negra" (Ballad of the Black Sorrow), features the Gypsy protagonist Soledad Montoya. At dawn, she searches for love, freedom, and joy, yet seems only to know grief and mourning. Soledad Montoya symbolizes the sorrow and marginalization of the Roma people. The narrator's voice speaks of loneliness, acting as a companion to Soledad. The poem employs various literary devices:

• Metaphors: e.g., "the spurs of the roosters dig / searching for the dawn" (las espuelas de los gallos / cavan buscando la aurora) refers to the rooster's crow signalling dawn.
• Symbols: e.g., the horse often represents passion or death.
• Metonymy: e.g., "crying the juice of lemon" (llorando zumo de limón).
• Similes: e.g., "like crazy" (como una loca).
• Hyperbole: e.g., "my two braids on the floor" (mis dos trenzas por el suelo).
• Anaphora and Parallelism: e.g., lines 33 and 34 ("¡Ay, pena de los gitanos! / Pena limpia y siempre sola").

Poet in New York: Death

"Death" (Muerte) from Poet in New York (Poeta en Nueva York) is a free-verse poem with a continuous exclamatory tone. It features constant repetition through:

• Anaphora: e.g., the repetition of "what" (qué).
• Parallelism and Linkages: e.g., horse-dog, dog-swallow, swallow-bee.

The first part uses surreal imagery to introduce the theme of dissatisfaction. Starting from line 7, everyone is searching for something to bring them fulfillment, freedom, love, authenticity, and innocence. In the final part, the lyrical "I" appears in a state of instability. The self is inert if greatness requires no effort. The poem highlights the difficulty living beings face in achieving fulfillment, contrasting this with inert objects that attain a dream denied to sentient beings.

Pedro Salinas

Pedro Salinas spent much of his life in exile, working as a university professor. He died in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His poetry seeks the universal within the specific, transcending the anecdotal to explore deeper relationships. He is considered one of the finest poets of love in Spanish literature. His notable works include La voz a ti debida (The Voice Addressed to You) and Razón de amor (Reason of Love).

Jorge Guillén

Jorge Guillén was a language and literature professor who taught at several universities during his exile. Upon returning to Spain, he received the Cervantes Prize and was named an honorary academician. His works, such as Cántico (Canticle) and Clamor, excel. Guillén is a clear representative of pure poetry. His poetic style evolved from celebrating the joy of life to reflecting on human and social problems.