Federico García Lorca's "Poet in New York": A Poetic Exploration of Identity, Alienation, and the Modern City

Poet in New York (FSG Classics)

by Drew Lindsay

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	34405 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	320 pages
Paperback	:	128 pages
Reading age	:	8 - 12 years
Item Weight	:	4.8 ounces
Dimensions	:	5.25 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches

FREE

Federico García Lorca's "Poet in New York" is a powerful and evocative collection of poems that explores themes of identity, alienation, and the modern city. Written in the early 1930s during Lorca's time spent in New York City, the poems reflect the poet's own experiences of displacement and alienation in the bustling metropolis.

The collection is divided into five sections, each of which explores a different aspect of the urban experience. The first section, "Arrival," captures the poet's initial impressions of New York City, a city that is both exhilarating and overwhelming. In the poem "Arrival in Harlem," Lorca describes the city as a "forest of fire and steel," a place where the "streets are full of Negroes / dancing and singing."

The second section, "Streets and Parks," focuses on the poet's experiences of everyday life in the city. In the poem "Nocturne of the Battery," Lorca describes the city at night as a "vast dark sea," a place where "the stars are like little boats / lost in the black water."

The third section, "The Subway," explores the poet's experiences of the city's underground transportation system. In the poem "Subway, Interior," Lorca describes the subway as a "great wound in the earth," a place where "the crowd is a herd of blind beasts / that roar and push."

The fourth section, "Death in New York," deals with the poet's own mortality and the death of his friends. In the poem "Death in Brooklyn," Lorca describes the death of a young woman in a hospital as a "slaughterhouse of innocence." In the poem "Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías," Lorca mourns the death of his friend, the bullfighter Ignacio Sánchez Mejías.

The fifth and final section, "Return," explores the poet's decision to leave New York City and return to his native Spain. In the poem "Return to Granada," Lorca describes his longing for his homeland as a "painful nostalgia" for "the white houses / and the blue sky."

"Poet in New York" is a complex and challenging collection of poems that offers a unique perspective on the modern city. Lorca's powerful imagery and evocative language capture the beauty and the brutality of urban life, and his exploration of themes of identity, alienation, and mortality are still relevant today.

Further Reading

• Federico García Lorca on Britannica.com
• Federico García Lorca on Poets.org
• Poet in New York on the Library of Congress website

Poet in New York (FSG Classics)

by Drew Lindsay

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	34405 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	320 pages
Paperback	:	128 pages
Reading age	:	8 - 12 years
Item Weight	:	4.8 ounces
Dimensions	:	5.25 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches

FREE