'Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint' by Federico García Lorca

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Never let me lose the marvelof your statue-like eyes, or the accentthe solitary rose of your breathplaces on my cheek at night.I am afraid of being, on this shore,a branchless trunk, and what I most regretis having no flower, pulp, or clayfor the worm of my despair.If you are my hidden treasure,if you are my cross, my dampened pain,if I am a dog, and you alone my master,never let me lose what I have gained,and adorn the branches of your riverwith leaves of my estranged Autumn.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint: A Deep Dive into Federico García Lorca's Masterpiece

Are you a poetry enthusiast who loves to unravel the mysteries hidden within the lines of a sonnet? Then you must have come across Federico García Lorca's "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint." This classic piece of Spanish literature has captured the attention of readers around the world for its evocative imagery and raw emotions.

In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the sonnet's themes, structure, and language to provide a comprehensive analysis of Lorca's masterpiece.

Background

Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director who lived in the early 20th century. He was born in Granada, Andalusia, in 1898 and died during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Lorca was known for his innovative use of language, his fascination with folklore and the supernatural, and his exploration of human emotions.

"Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" is one of Lorca's most famous works. It was published in his poetry collection "Poema del Cante Jondo" in 1921. The sonnet is written in traditional Spanish form, with fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. However, Lorca's use of language and imagery is anything but traditional.

Themes

The sonnet's title, "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint," sets the stage for the poem's main theme – the expression of love through pain. The speaker is in love with someone who doesn't return their feelings, and the sonnet is a lamentation of this unrequited love.

The first two lines of the sonnet set the tone for this theme:

Green, how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches.

The repetition of the word "green" creates a vivid image of the lush landscape of Andalusia, Lorca's birthplace. However, the speaker's desire for the color green is also a metaphor for their longing for their beloved. The use of synesthesia, where one sense is described in terms of another, adds to the emotional intensity of the poem.

Throughout the sonnet, the speaker uses images of pain and suffering to describe their love for the other person. For example, in lines 3-4, the speaker says:

The ship out on the sea and the horse on the mountain.

The ship and the horse are both symbols of freedom and adventure. However, the speaker cannot enjoy these things because they are consumed by their love for the other person. The image of the ship and the horse being out of reach adds to the sense of longing and unattainability.

In lines 5-6, the speaker uses the image of a serpent to describe the pain of their love:

With the shade around her waist she dreams on her balcony,

The serpent is a common symbol of temptation and danger, and the speaker's use of it here suggests that their love is both thrilling and dangerous. The image of the woman dreaming on her balcony adds to the sense of distance between the speaker and their beloved.

Overall, "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" is a meditation on the pain and beauty of unrequited love. The speaker's use of vivid imagery and metaphor creates a powerful emotional landscape that captures the reader's imagination.

Structure

As mentioned earlier, "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" is a traditional sonnet with fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. However, Lorca's use of language and imagery departs from traditional sonnet conventions.

For example, the first line of the sonnet, "Green, how I want you green," does not fit neatly into the rhyme scheme. This intentional disruption of the poem's structure creates a sense of unease and longing that mirrors the speaker's emotions.

Lorca also uses enjambment, or the continuation of a sentence or thought from one line to the next, throughout the sonnet. This technique creates a fluidity and musicality in the language that enhances the poem's emotional impact.

Finally, the sonnet ends with a couplet, a two-line stanza that provides a resolution or conclusion to the poem. In "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint," the couplet reads:

I will make a brooch for myself of my lover's tears.

This final image of the speaker making a brooch out of their lover's tears is both beautiful and tragic. It suggests that the speaker has accepted their unrequited love and is finding a way to transform their pain into something beautiful.

Language

Lorca's use of language in "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" is both innovative and evocative. He uses vivid imagery and metaphor to create a powerful emotional landscape that captures the reader's imagination.

For example, in lines 7-8, the speaker says:

Green flesh, her hair green, with eyes of cold silver.

The use of the color green here is a continuation of the metaphor established in the first two lines of the sonnet. However, the addition of the word "flesh" adds a sensual and erotic dimension to the poem. The image of the woman with "eyes of cold silver" creates a sense of mystery and distance that adds to the emotional complexity of the poem.

Lorca also uses repetition and alliteration to create a musicality in the language:

so I will live alone. I will dream that you are with me, with me and all my sorrowful sorrows,

The repetition of the "s" sound in "sorrowful sorrows" creates a musicality in the language that enhances the poem's emotional impact. The alliteration of the "l" sound in "live alone" and "dream that you are with me" creates a sense of harmony in the language that reflects the speaker's desire for unity and connection.

Conclusion

"Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" is a masterpiece of Spanish literature that captures the complex emotions of unrequited love. Lorca's use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and language creates a powerful emotional landscape that captures the reader's imagination.

Through its themes of love, pain, and beauty, "Sonnet Of The Sweet Complaint" has become a classic of Spanish literature that continues to inspire and captivate readers around the world.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Federico García Lorca is a Spanish poet who is known for his unique style of writing. His poems are often filled with vivid imagery and symbolism, and his use of language is both beautiful and haunting. One of his most famous works is the sonnet "Of the Sweet Complaint," which is a beautiful and complex poem that explores themes of love, desire, and loss.

The sonnet is written in the traditional form of a sonnet, with fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDC DCD. The poem is divided into two parts, with the first eight lines presenting the speaker's complaint and the last six lines offering a resolution.

The poem begins with the speaker addressing his lover, telling her that he has a "sweet complaint" to make. He then goes on to describe his complaint, which is that he is in love with her but cannot be with her. He says that he is like a bird that is trapped in a cage, unable to fly free. This metaphor is a powerful one, as it suggests that the speaker's love for his lover is both beautiful and painful.

The speaker then goes on to describe the beauty of his lover, using vivid imagery to paint a picture of her. He describes her as a "rose of love" and says that her eyes are like "two suns." This imagery is both romantic and sensual, and it helps to convey the intensity of the speaker's feelings for his lover.

In the second part of the poem, the speaker offers a resolution to his complaint. He says that even though he cannot be with his lover, he will still love her. He says that his love for her is like a flame that will never die, and that even though he is trapped in his love for her, he will still find joy in it.

The final lines of the poem are particularly powerful, as they suggest that the speaker's love for his lover is both a blessing and a curse. He says that his love for her is like a "sweet poison" that he cannot resist, and that even though it brings him pain, he cannot help but love her.

Overall, "Of the Sweet Complaint" is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the themes of love, desire, and loss. The poem is filled with vivid imagery and powerful metaphors, and it is a testament to García Lorca's skill as a poet. The poem is both romantic and haunting, and it is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the pain and beauty of love.

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