A
Rhapsodic
Age?
I
RAMON
J.
SENDER
SouTH
AMERICA,
if we are to judge from appearances, is .still living
in the early time of the rhapsodists. She is fortunate in that none of
the forms of her civilization-economic, social, political, literary–
has reached that peak where its very weight enforces its decline.
Everywhere there are broad wings and plenty of space in which to
spread them. And faithful to her hour, South America is producing
poets and poetry. This poetry, since the time of Ruben Dario-whose
vigor was godfather to an entire generation, of Spaniards no less than
Spanish-Americans-lays bare before us the strata of its develop–
ment, alive and in action; for in each country we still find
Symbolist~
and
Parna~ians
tending towards Modernism, and Modernists disin–
tegrating into Ultraism, Surrealism, Creationism, and other move–
ments- movements not only sharply defined and active, but engaged
in conflict. This conflict is periodically embodied in anthologies; and
the war of the anthologies, from Mexico to the Argentine, is a curious
and reassuring phenomenon: for no one will deny that the discussion
of poetry is one of the highest proofs of civilization that a society
can give.
We are accustomed to talk about 'French influences,' but in
reality nations do not have a distinctive lyric or epic or dramatic
character. Poetry has no nationality; and as for creeds, though reli–
gions have their many temples with their varied rites, in poetry there
is
only one priest between God and the world. That priest
is
the poet.
Baudelaire yesterday, or Valery today, is a force of irradiation suffi–
ciently strong to reach South America at the same time that it reaches
Madrid. The poets of Argentina and of Mexico are used to receiving
them directly, as one would expect. Sometimes, indeed, they reach
this side of the Atlantic before they get to the Calle de Alcala. While
Ruben Dario was still quaffing the wines of Castille from 'the cup of
France,' Juan Valera-the most liberal spirit
in
Spanish letters-was
saying of Baudelaire that he succeeded through cheap sensationalism,
and was being astonished by the lyricism of Hugo, who speaks of the
-'black egg of the heavens' and permits himself to refer to God as a
