The collection was written by Federico García during a life changing trip to New York, Cuba and Vermont between June 1929 and April 1930. “Poeta en Nueva York” is atypical in several important ways from Lorca’s earlier works. It is set mostly in an urban environment and there is an absence of traditional Spanish Themes. Federico Bonaddio points out that there are structural differences as well: the reduced presence of metaphor and the predominance …show more content…
This first line in the poem is crucially important is setting the mood of the poem. Richard L. Predmore points out that one may be killed accidently but assassination is always intentional. Furthermore assassination usually implies treachery, something not commonly considered compatible with heavens degree.6
The poet is talking about his fate, he believes he has been condemned by heavens will because of his sexuality and is now mourning his own metaphorical death. In Lorca’s desperate psychological state, he points an accusing finger at god and suggests celestial hostility.
He feels himself sentenced to suffer for eternity caught in the tension of such opposing forces as may be implied by the serpent and the crystal. The poet, killed by the sky, feels condemned to a space intermediate between heaven and hell, limbo. He knows he has done nothing wrong but being a homosexual is considered a sin Christian Church’s eyes. Giordano Righetti argues that “dans la lutte entre symboles de destruction (« la sierpe ») et d´espérance (« el cristal ») chaque jour il est en train de perdre son …show more content…
Being gay would lead to isolation, exclusion and therefore social “death”. Lorca’s mind was in a state of tumult as he tried to suppress his sexual desires.
Lorca’s “Vuelta de Paseo” contains repetition in the form of a repeated preposition. Each pair of verse lines are introduced by the word “con”. They contain the images that stay with the poet even after the walk is over as he struggles to express the intimation just described.
Much of what becomes symbolic in Lorca’s poetry begins as visual impression. These rapid images, kept flowing from one to the next by the conjunction “y”, at poems centre reinforce idea of destruction and mutilation. This destroyed city is in line with the brokenness of the poet.
The image in line five is of heavily pruned tree whose cut branches resemble amputated limbs. The trees are song less because of the absence of birds. Through this image Lorca is trying to express the feelings he is experiencing. It is like a part of him has been taken away as he is no longer able to express who he really