Walking home with Megan, making inside jokes during little gay professor man's class with Andy and Dave, going on absurdly long walks in circles with L and eating seconds for dessert with mi padre are all things I enjoy here in Spain. My favorite solo activity, of course, would be blogging. Last test, L came to Alcala and helped me study for my poetry test (I got 100%... I'm thinking she helped greatly!)... but because it's late at night and I can't ask anybody to come help me focus my energy into studying right now, I supposed I'll have to find a appealing way to focus all by myself. And if the only thing I love doing daily alone is blogging, then, I suppose I'll use my blog to help me study.
So here we go. You read the post earlier today about how I have 30 poems to be familiar with by tomorrow at 9 am. Might as well write their title, author, era and pithy synopsis on my blog to keep my attention from wandering as it has been doing since 4:15 pm today. >_< No need to read this yourselves, just notes for me.
Antonio Machado
La Saeta --> The name of the poem implies a poem addressing the sadness of the poet with regards to the death of Christ. In this poem, however, Machado speaks of the sheeople of Spain who cry and scream and praise the wooden statue of Christ nailed to the cross and make this their life's purpose. Machado opines that worshiping the Christ that walked on water (the real Christ, the Christ who taught people and created miracles) should be the Christ that is happily worshiped - not the suffering woody doppelganger who inspires no sort of Christian knowledge in his image.
Soldades (Yo voy sonando caminos) --> Literally, this poem is about a late afternoon journey along a little path and how it starts to get dark and he gets a little nervous that he can't see where he's going. Metaphorically it speaks of how he had a thorn in his heart, but he managed to remove the thorn and now instead of feeling pain, his little heart feels nothing at all -- and that's much worse. He's going into the unknown and doesn't even have his heartache to guide him. He misses his passionate love, no matter how painful.
Anoche cuando dormia --> This poem uses three images to represent God: Fountain, Beehive, Sun. Yep... that's all I got for this one. *please don't appear on the test!!*
Juan Ramon Jimenez
Represents the movement of "Poesia Pura" in which poetry is seen as a pretty way to escape reality, while, at the same time, trying to understand the essence of poetry by not focusing on rhyme or structure but instead letting it flow.
Eternidad --> The poem begins with "I am not me." It's a poem I can relate to when I'm really tired because he talks about how this person in front of him is not who he is - he's sweeter and nicer and more eternal than this physical representation of himself.
Vino Primero Pura --> Jimenez compares the evolution of poetry to a human's mode of dressing. At first poetry was pure and dressed simply, then it started getting bunddled up in layers and then it was dressed in rich treasures that were really just a sham; such frivolous crap only hid the intrinsic beauty of the poem. So now, as poetry stands as Jimenez is writing this current poem, poetry is liberated and nude, free to express itself passionately and without a fake facade concerned with style and rhyme and meter, etc.
Intelijencia --> Longs for the simplest words to use for every single concept so that no word is loaded and all words are pure and simple creatures that are able to construct a poem on their own based on their pure essence and not their impure connotations. Only through this manner can one create in an original manner.
Pablo Neruda
Surrealism... a dream world where images create emotion without logic; focus on internal world, declaring that sometimes the surreal IS reality.
Por una poesia sin pureza --> Basically a response to "Poesia pura" and Jimenez saying, "Guys, this is ridiculous. Poetry is supposed to be flowery and focus on the mundane objects that give meaning to human beings - pure, simplistic poetry is a dumb idea. I'm against it."
Walking Around --> Begins with "I'm tired of being a human bean (deal with it)"... all the mundane aspects of being one make me feel nauseous... goes on to say, "Wouldn't it be the shit if we could randomy throw a lily we just cut from a plant square at a notary and get away with it?!Or how about killing a nun with a blow to the ear?!" It gets random, yeah... but I understand where he's going with it. It's like, "people are dull. what's the point? Let's get crazy. But then the tone once again gets sad and disgusted and he says Mondays fear his lack of giving a shit and depression and so the world comes back to spite him for this and all that's left in the end is clothing hanging from clothespins dripping with dirty tears. I'm not really sure where Pablo was going with this... He's tried of being a human, he wishes life were random, but life isn't and things are sad. FAIL, Pablo... where's the spark here?
*GENERATION 1927*
--> Salinas, Cernuda, Lorca
Three types of poems: Surreal, Pure, Educational. Three hundred years previous (1627) was the death of Gongora, so those of the '27 sought to revive the perfect structure, break with tradition and popular poetry to honor him and his style.
Pedro Salinas
Underwood Girls --> This poem is adorable. I don't even need to review my notes for this one. Pedro compares the keys of a type writer (teclas) to little girls who are sleeping until they get awaken and their letter needs to be used by the machine. The message is that literature / typed words sustain the world, and these little keys are the magic behind the process. Very sweet little personification. :) And a love letter to a type writer - adorable!
Para vivir no quiero... --> "What happiness greater than to live in pronouns" -- and adorable way to write "you, me, us." :) A love poem that professes that the poet needs no riches, no treasures, no islands, no cutesy things, not even his name -- all he needs is his lover and his love for her to feel complete and happy. You are you and that's why I love you. "I love you, I am me." A declaration that he is who he is because of his love for her and that's what matters. In my personal opinion, the man is losing his identity so what does he have to bring to the love affair but a shell of a human being... but it's cute nonetheless.
Luis Cernuda
Si el hombre pudiera... --> A poem about the perils of being gay in a society where it is not acceptable. He is a prisoner of love and cannot act on his true desires nor feel truly free. The end of this line is the sweetest line of any poem I've ever read (well, almost):
Federico Garcia Lorca
Sopresa --> A good example of Expressionism; No context? No problem! It's all about the gut emotional reaction. Think: "The Scream," as in that one strange painting. This poem speaks of a dead guy in the street with a knife coming out of his chest and nobody knows him or cares to know what to do about the situation. Shocking and grotesque? Yes. Context? Not at all.
La casada infiel --> An "elegantly erotic" poem about a one night stand the speaker has with a woman who he believed was a virgin but turned out to be married. No judgement on the part of the woman for participating in the foree - a good time had by all for that one night. He's very respectful and gentle with her. Symbols: Water/Horse = Desire/Passion while Moon/Green = Death The poem is defending "prohibited love" impart because Lorca was gay and such love was considered just as prohibited as sex between a married woman and a random man who hardly know each other and hook up one night.
Poeta en Nueva York --> Lorca goes to NYC thinking that the black people in Harlem are the ones that are worse off than the other New Yorkers and plans to write about their perils, but after discovering Wall Street, he realizes that these people are much worse off. At least black children play in the streets and giggle. Wall Street people are all serious and only work for money because they think this is what life means and they don't try to escape their slavery to their machines of inhumanity because they don't know any better. At least the poor in Harlem still have spirit. Also, Wall Street people affect the whole world, so it's even worse their the ones without the soul intact.
Grito hacia Roma --> The pope agrees to more or less support Mussolini in killing people and his political extremes as long as the Vatican can once again be restored to the Pope as an autonomous land. Lorca yells at the pope for being such a sell out and says while he still supports Catholicism, this pope is clearly unfit for office and this is ridiculous. Sees that this is just the tip of the ice burg and somebody needs to stop this runaway train of destruction.
Miguel Hernandez
Nanas de la cebolla --> Onion Lullaby is a poem written by a shepherd who found himself in jail after fighting in the war. He writes this sweet lullaby to his baby son, who he's never met (and never will meet - he dies in jail a little while after this poem was written), and whose mother is suffering from poverty and can only find onions to eat. :-/
Damaso Alonso
Insomnio -->
Blas
En el Principio -->
Jaime Gil de Biedma
Albada --> The morning after poem. The dirty sheets are on the floor, I don't know who you are. I liked you a lot last night. I don't wanna go, but I don't wanna stay 'cause I have no idea who you are. Work is waiting for me and you're better than work, but I'm rather indifferent to your being. Gay morning after one night stand poem. Traditional form (albada = romantic morning after sex... i don't want to leave you... we're lovers who should cuddle all day sort of thing... new, modern take on the idea)
Luis Alberto de Cuenca
A Alicia, disfrazada como Leia --> My gf is dressed up in a gold bikini like Princess Leia and it's sexy. Yum.
Conversacion --> When we fight, the words that come out of my mouth aren't mine. When they hurt you, they're a double edged sword and they hurt me too. I'm sorry.
El Desayuno --> You do some dorky things and I do some dorky things and I just love you, but what I love the most is when you wake up and say, "I'm hungry. I'm starting with you." Brother. Haha.
La Malcasada --> You call me up to complain about your husband and your parents and your kids, but I don't care. I used to be in love with you, but you made your bed and you must lie in it. Aftermath of Becquer's Golondrina poem.
Julio Martinez Mesanza
Remedia Amoris --> Women suck and don't know how to love.
Amalia Bautista
Contra Remedia Amoris --> Women can love just fine, it's just that they need to find somebody worthy of their love. This rebuttal is so great cuz Julio is her HUSBAND. HAHA.
Dejate --> It's cool to be kinky, but leave that stuff for a lover who is not your husband. o_O Weird poem, yeah.
Vicente Gallego
La Pregunta --> Like a grand punnishment from a Greek God - I go out clubbing and to the bars every night because I'm looking for something, but in the end, what is it I'm looking for? What ever it is, I won't find it here anyway. What am I doing with my life? *Mirror reflection when you are out partying and go to the bathroom alone and you look at your reflection at two am and are like, "Dude, wth are you doing here?"*
Felipe Reyes
Advertencia --> When somebody abandons you (and it will happen), don't hate them and don't forgive them. Neither are authentic things to do. Instead, take the pain in your room alone and then rise about it all and thank them for all they have given you through your relationship together. They could have loved anybody but they chose you, so honor this and your love and move forward with dignity. (I like this one!)
Jose Matheos
Como resbala el sol --> ?
Pocas cosas despiertan --> Few things make me has happy as a playful dog, few things make me feel the way I do when I see an old dog who's lived a long life about to die. No matter how you slice it, an inquisitive look from a dog holds every sentiment in the world in those two eyes.
