Introduction to Spanish Poetry (Dual-Language) Book

Since my husband was taking Spanish for school, I was designated his study-buddy. Knowing as much Spanish as a kitten, I decided to get a few Spanish books to make it fun and help with sentence structure. Unfortunately, after weeks of hard work (and one -in my opinion- bad teacher), he dropped the class with an aversion to all things Spanish. For me, as a language, I never had fun with it and more often than not was wary of it since there was always so much homework dumped on us and watching Spanish movies, it was always spoken too fast for us to understand. However, left over were the Spanish books and not wanting them to go to waste, I picked up a few to read before time to return. This was one of them and I was pleasantly surprised to find an accompanying CD inside the book.

It was a very quick read, but that's not to say the collection was wrongly paced. The poets chosen provided a wide example of Spanish poetry, which was perfect as an "introduction". I knew as soon as I saw it that Lorca would be involved, which he was, but in as much moderation as the rest of the poets and giving everyone their due credit without favoritism. It's a book worth reading to get a taste of Spanish writing and I grow fonder and fonder of Spanish poets. It's bilingual, which is necessary for me even if I was not studying the language (even if I don't understand it, I feel the poems should be also shown in their original language).

The last poem trailed off the book to a somber silence with Miguel Herna*ndez's "The Trail of the Wounded", which was an exceptional poem, but an interesting place to leave off.

Just a few side notes:

I was a bit unsettled by "Noche oscura del alma" by San Juan de la Cruz. I understand what it was shooting for but it just reminded me of the South Park episode of Faith +1. Example (and this is about God): "On my flowering breast/that kept itself entirely for Him alone,/He fell into deep slumber,/and I caressed Him,/cooled by the breeze from the cedars" and "my face rested against my Lover;/all ceased and I was left,/leaving all my cares/forgotten among the lilies." That's…pretty intense God-love.

I loved "Magrigal" by Luis de Go*ngora y Argote and "Soneto a Lisi" by Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas. I want to check out more poems by Gustavo Aldolfo Be*cquer and Miguel Herna*ndez.

Some examples:
"A aquel a*rbol que mueve la hoja/algo se le antoja." "That tree whose leaves are trembling/is yearning for something." By Diego Hurtado de Mendoza

"No tardes, Muerte, que muero;/ven porque viva contigo;/quie* reme, pues que te quiro, que con tu venida espero/no tener guerra conmingo." "Do not linger, Death, for I am dying;/come, so I may live with you;/love me, because I love you, for with your coming I hope/not to struggle with myself." Jorge Manrique

Bottomline: A good taste of Spanish poetry. It does its job and is a good introduction.