To Roosevelt ”by Rubén Darío and Modernism
This poem, well known in Rubén Darío’s profane prose, is dedicated to President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States, whose mandate was at the beginning of the 20th century. In this poem, the strong opposition that there were, especially of the Latin American lawyer, to the United States and its policy they used, at this time it was an imperialist policy. Rubén Darío in this poem changes the meaning of modernism, which we have seen in other poems, that is, changes those great castles, precious stones and wonderful objects, to be able to make a complaint to Roosevelt, but with that touch of musicality and culture characteristic of the characteristic of themodernism;But while using elements of the past, as we will analyze, mythological and a very careful language, but with a totally complaint tone.
From the first stanza to the sixth stanza, describes and criticizes the United States, always with comparisons with Latin America. There is an allusion to the Bible and the poet Walt Whitman, with her what Darío intends to know is that he will speak with the tone of those voices, that is, with the tone of poetry and belief in God, in addition to justice. He qualifies Roosevelt as a hunter, in addition to primitive and modern (here we can see an antithesis), with this Darío states that the policy that is being carried out is an old but modern at the same time, thereby refers to that modern imperialism thatIt arises during this time. It shows the United States as it is an invasive, superb, cruel, strong, cultured and devoured nature of nature and good. In addition, there is a clear allusion to antianarchism professed by Roosevelt in "You oppose Tolstoy", one of the most important Russian writers and one of the great precursors of the anarchist current. It also compares the figure of Roosevelt with the figures of two great invaders of antiquity such as Alexander the Great and Nebuchadnezzar. It accuses the United States of using violence to achieve the end of its policy as in “you think life is a fire, that progress is eruption;In the bullet the future to put ». Darío recognizes the greatness of the EE. UU., But he refers to the fact that we do not forget that Latin America also has greatness as in «Hugo A Grant said:“ The stars are your. (As soon as it shines Álzando, the Argentine Sol and the Chilean star rises …) ».
The last stanza, Darío aims to make an exaltation of that indigenous, Spanish and Christian America full of love, nature and life, which wants to destroy the United States;To do this he resorts to characters from the conquest and colonization as in "The America of the Great Moctezuma, of the Inca, / the fragrant America of Christopher Columbus". Emphasizes the great strength of Spanish America, which is not so easy to defeat. By the last verse, he wants to let the United States know that they do not have the help of God, while Latin America yes, which is more important than anything.
As for language, as we have said before, it is a less precious language, since it is not intended to show the beauty of language and poetry, the author’s intention is more political and social, so it uses direct language andaccusatory. Therefore, there is a great predominance of attacks on the United States. Darío uses the letters and verse as a weapon against an imperialist country, which aims to take the political and social domain of Latin America, simply to increase its wealth and its great empire since then known.
In conclusion, it could be said that this poem does not show such clear characteristics of Rubén Darío’s modernism, as we have seen in this comment. The main thing is to see the readers of the poem and the Roosevelt himself the crime that is being committed towards Latin America, but with a very well selected and careful language, through a poem that gives that touch of musicality and in addition to culture of culture ofLatin America. It resorts to the great past of America to carry out its great exaltation. This as we know has been happening for decades, the United States has always tried to take the power of Latin America, a continent full of cultural, natural and social wealth, over the years has achieved some advance. Therefore, this poem is so important, even today, since it manifests that feeling of authenticity and value of a continent that today almost western and social culture does not know how to appreciate it. Darío knows how to highlight the best and most precious, resorting to religion, to the indigenous and colonial past. Darío defends his land with what he knows best to do, with poetry.
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