I definitely found this week’s readings to be both more challenging and time-consuming. I did, however, continue to love reading Gabriela Mistral’s emotional, moving poetry. The sections “Locas Mujeres” and “Vagabundajes” revealed an even wider variety of religious beliefs and creation stories than previously observed in “Cuenta-Mundo.” Not only is the balance between indigenous spirituality and Catholicism valued by Mistral, but a strong knowledge of classical mythology is also revealed in “Locas Mujeres.” References to strong figures of ancient Greece abound – Antigone, Gaia, Electra, Castor and Pollux. Mistral’s adherence to classical mythology does, however, continue to be interspersed with biblical references to Jesus Christ, David, Raphael and Cain.
Mistral’s maternal instincts also continued to pervade her poetry throughout “Locas Mujeres,” as did her constant reverence for the natural world. I found “Madre Bisoja” to be a particularly pleasing read, both for its eloquence and for the beautiful classical myths it reminds me of. Gaia is a truly beautiful and empowering female figure in classical mythology and Mistral’s representation brought new beauty to her story.
There is an atmosphere of feminine empowerment in Mistral’s poetry, as she portrays Gaia, the earth mother, with such love, reverence, and awe. She represents the Earth in an exceedingly selfless manner, as a lone shepherd, bearing all creatures, allowing none to fall from her wide lap:
A todas las criaturas
soportó en rodillas anchas
y rebosando, ninguna
se le cayó de la falda
I loved the image of a cross-eyed mother, with one black eye and one blue eye, that accounts for the daily alternation between day and night we experience on Earth. I did a bit of research and as far as I can tell, this detail was of Mistral’s invention. Mistral’s personification or attribution of a scientifically justifiable truth to the individual qualities of a mythological figure is quite classical in nature.
Al igual que tu, también creo que muchos de los poemas de Mistral otorgan a la mujer un poder que normalmente no se encuentra en poesia escritoa por hombres
ReplyDeleteI like how you discussed Mistral’s maternal instincts. It was something I found while reading the selection of poems as well. It is amazing how her desire to nourish children is expressed through her words. She seems to me to have been an amazing woman to know. She must have been the mother figure in everyone’s life! In addition, the “feminine empowerment” within her poetry was such a powerful and evident factor in these poems. Mistral’s ability to relate women to the beauty within nature makes reading her poems such a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteEstoy soprendida – muy alegremente – por la alta nivel de tus explicaciones y interpretaciones. Subrayas la usa de la mitología y lo que esta usa significa, en terminos de la figura de la heroína maternal que aparece, sobre todo el imagen de Gaia, como figura que representa la madre de la tierra.
ReplyDeleteDe la forma en la explicas tus interpretaciones , puedo ver los poemas de una nueva manera ya que has logrado abrir mis ojos a otras ideas
ReplyDeleteI liked the fact you interpreted the poems well. I also enjoyed reading what you liked about each poem in particular. You give good examples about how you feel about certain things which allows your readers to understand a different perspective of the poem.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way you "translated" this poem into more digestible stuff about her being a mother. I believe that Mistral, as many other writers, lived vicariously through her writings and that is the most of her poems speak of that motherly relation. It is not surprising either because she used to be teacher, and so I guess she wanted to teach not only her own child but also as many people as she could.
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