Certainly, poems such as Salmo I, La hora de Dios, El buitre de Prometeo, Alborada espiritual, ¡Perdón!, Vencido, Las siete palabras y dos más, or sonnets such as Al destino, Fe, and Resignación are not from Góngora or Lope de Vega. And if, in them, Unamuno showed himself to be “more philosopher than poet,” what, then, is the poetic quality that such verses lack? Or rather: in what sense would the poetic verve of those authors be superior to that of Unamuno? The truth is that, in the aforementioned poems, the expression could not be more vigorous, nor the motivation more authentic. And if that does not place Unamuno in the first echelon of Spanish poets, perhaps it would be convenient to create a new group to include him—and this would be the group of poets whose reading is most meaningful to the reader.
Category: Notes
Ortega y Gasset, Antonio Machado, Pío Baroja…
Ortega y Gasset, Antonio Machado, Pío Baroja… Spanish literature has given me some memorable reads. None, however, have provoked in me a feeling similar to what I experienced after coming into contact with Unamuno, who seemed like a family member to me. There are cases like this in literature: a line separates admiration, empathy, and appreciation from this unmistakable feeling of identification. And it is always special to see in an author a member of one’s own species, whose concerns are those intimately felt, whose expression vocalizes something that could be said by oneself. Rare, but when it occurs, it shows that there is no untransmittable individuality; there have always been and always will be others who, through literature, can understand.
“Time Has Passed”
Not everyone is fortunate enough to experience in this life the pedagogical sensation that “time has passed.” This sensation, which varies depending on circumstances, usually points to the consequences of having postponed a decision. However, there are times when it shows very clearly that a decision has indeed been made. This happens to those who, after a certain age, observe their old acquaintances, some of whom were close until just yesterday, and realize that they have all taken a path, accepted what life had to offer, made choices, continued their parents’ work. Few can experience this, for they are precisely those who did not act as expected, transgressing the natural course of life, breaking with the pattern. Then, “time has passed”: one can no longer go back, nor reintegrate into the norm; one has decided without realizing it. And how quickly it all happens! Now, everything becomes very clear, and the fortunate one who experiences it can finally commit to his decision forever.
It Is Necessary to Have Compassion…
It is necessary to have compassion because, as Buddhism says, suffering is very evenly distributed, and we almost never know what motivates an action. We judge automatically, and rarely reflect on our ability to judge, which is non-existent when based on mere conventions. Man is nothing. He benefits himself, not his neighbor, when he tries to understand. And when he does not understand, something can be gained by pity; nothing by condemnation.