The Selected Poems of Federico Garcia Lorca

I have lost myself in the sea many tunes
with my ear full of freshly cut flowers,
with my tongue full of love awl agony.
I have lost myself in the sea many times
as I lose myself in the heart of certain children.

It has been a meandering weekend, laden with thoughts on consciousness and narrative, These thoughts led to a certain brooding. Most of the selected work here appeared lighter, odes to tranquility and affection. My soul wasn't overly callous for such but neither did it bloom.

These clipped lines embrace Spain's Moorish past. Not the Caliphate but traditions of poetry which rolled across deserts and seas. There were troubadours of the moment who found hope in the scent of flowers. Unfortunately the same tide of history which show more propels those sentiments brought something ugly his way. show less

Throughout this selection from Lorca's body of work, his poems ring out with a melancholy, dreamlike, and sometimes morbid lyricism. His development is clearly noticeable here. Some of the earliest work is rather juvenile, but the majority of the last third of this volume, especially the Gacela and Casida included from Divan del Tamarit, employ the aforementioned elements to such effect and with such an amount of skill that I do not hesitate to count them among some of the best poetry I have read.

The book notes explain that Federico Garcia Lorca greatly contributed to saving traditional Spanish poetic forms and songs, particularly the Saeta, and there were some poems that were quite striking and worthwhile in this book. I enjoyed the opportunity to experience this book in both Spanish and English, as I am not entirely fluent in Spanish.

Unfortunately, what I will remember most from this book is the Ode to Walt Whitman. There is an attempt to put this poem in context- it was written during the Great Depression in New York, by a man who was missing country life and was homesick. The point of the poem was to tie male homosexuality to the decay of the city. Garcia Lorca takes pains to say that he is not criticizing closeted gay men show more and boys, but only those blatantly gay. I tried to find a different interpretation of this poem, and failed. What is for me unfortunate is that there are also worthwhile poems in this book, but they are overshadowed by the memory of this one. show less

This selection of Lorca's poetry does a good job illustrating his career from beginning to end and his growth as a poet. The poems are arranged chronologically. His immaturity as a poet are evident in the early works. He hones his skills and develops his own style noticeably with the selections from his third book of poems. From then on, the poems sing with a folk lyricism and surrealism. This collection contains translations by many notable writers, including Langston Hughes and W.S. Merwin.

From the early poems through to the last the beauty of language and nature creates an iridescent glow. The poetry of Lorca has a simplicity that belies the depth of its meaning.

Garcia Lorcan (1898-1936) kootuissa runoissa tulee esille hänen kykynsä tuoda esille psykologisia sävyjä ja erilaisia vertauskuvia. Lorcan runomitta on kaunis ja soljuva. Lorcan tuotannossa kuuluu espanjalainen kansanperimä.

Poems about self, being other, society, repression. Lorca is a favorite poet.