At three in the afternoon the soldiers killed the poet but his voice fled to the Andalusian valleys.
Nobody mourned his death.
Nobody, nobody, nobody. Only a gypsy and a dwarf
mourned the poet's death today.
The padre does not mourn the poet.
He has wept since the day he sinned
with a child actress in the Grand Cathedral;
but the child will come to him no more and the padre has been crying for years.
In the cemetery, the grave digger waits.
Why is the grave digger waiting for a corpse
without a voice? No one in the town knows.
The gypsy and the dwarf whimper.
They are frightened of the man wearing a black sombrero and with jackdaw feathers on his lips.
He has come to watch the play
that no one in the town remembers.
In springtime the orange groves
scatter blossom on the poet's grave
and a swarm of sterile butterflies
pour out of the hombre's mouth.
Alfacar is a town on edge.
Who betrayed the poet today?
Nobody in the town knows. Nobody, nobody, nobody.
Read A short biography of Federico García Lorca Spain's greatest poet and playwright
A few words about the poem...
A Tribute to Lorca: The Imagined Aftermath of a Poet’s Death in "The Passion Play"
"The Passion Play," reimagines the aftermath of Federico García Lorca's murder, merging surrealism with a deeply poignant allegory. The poem honours Lorca's life, work, and tragic death during the Spanish Civil War while exploring the enduring power of his artistic voice. Within the verses, the town of Alfacar, near where Lorca is believed to have been executed in 1936, becomes the stage for an intricate interplay of mourning, silence, and unresolved questions.
This tribute to Lorca, begins with stark clarity: “At three in the afternoon, the soldiers killed the poet, but his voice fled to the Andalusian valleys.” This moment, imbued with symbolism, recalls the time traditionally associated with Christ’s death, underscoring the sacrificial nature of Lorca’s demise. The flight of the poet’s voice into the Andalusian valleys evokes the immortality of his art, escaping the confines of political repression and resonating with nature and the marginalised communities he often celebrated.
The indifference of the townspeople to the poet’s death deepens the allegory, illustrating societal complicity in silence and oppression. The gypsy and the dwarf, figures of marginalisation, emerge as the only mourners. Their quiet lament amplifies the absence of a collective outcry, reflecting the alienation Lorca experienced during his life and the betrayal that led to his death. These characters personify Lorca’s dedication to the voiceless, aligning with his poetry's persistent themes of injustice and marginalisation.
The padre's anguish adds another layer of complexity. His weeping is not for the poet but for his own moral failings, symbolised by an illicit relationship with a child actress in the Grand Cathedral. The padre’s torment encapsulates Lorca’s critique of religious institutions, their hypocrisies, and their inability to reconcile spiritual ideals with human desires. Through this character, the poem explores broader societal contradictions, echoing the poet’s enduring engagement with themes of morality, guilt, and redemption.
Alfacar, the poem's setting, carries the weight of history. It was near this town that Lorca was executed during the early days of the Spanish Civil War, his death a symbol of the era's brutality. The poem’s refrain—nobody, nobody, nobody—underscores the haunting silence surrounding his murder. The repeated question, “Who betrayed the poet today?” resounds like an unresolved echo, reflecting the mystery and anguish that continue to shroud Lorca’s death.
The poem’s symbolic landscape further enriches its narrative. The grave digger’s presence, awaiting a corpse without a voice, mirrors the unresolved nature of Lorca’s legacy. The mysterious figure in the black sombrero, adorned with jackdaw feathers, brings an air of menace and mystery, embodying the enduring spectre of violence and complicity. These elements evoke Lorca’s own blending of the surreal and the folkloric, reminiscent of works like "Blood Wedding" and "Yerma."
In the final stanzas, nature reclaims its role as a silent mourner. The orange groves scatter blossoms on the poet’s grave, and sterile butterflies emerge from the lips of the enigmatic man. This juxtaposition of life and sterility encapsulates the duality of Lorca’s legacy: his art continues to inspire, yet the circumstances of his death cast a shadow over his memory.
The poem’s interwoven themes, rich symbolism, and evocative imagery create a fitting tribute to Lorca, reflecting the profound complexity of his work and the enduring resonance of his death. It serves not only as an elegy for a singular voice lost to history but also as a meditation on the fragility of human constructs, the resilience of art, and the power of remembrance.
Analysis of the Themes in the Poem
The themes of silence, betrayal, and marginalisation dominate the poem. The indifference of the townspeople to the poet’s death critiques societal apathy toward injustice, while the gypsy and the dwarf’s lament underscores the alienation of those on the fringes. The padre’s confessional despair reflects the inner conflict between morality and sin, a recurring tension in Lorca’s exploration of societal hypocrisy.
The cyclical nature of violence and repression is another central theme. The grave digger, awaiting the voiceless corpse, and the spectral figure in the black sombrero evoke the inescapable grip of death and complicity. These elements highlight the cyclical nature of human suffering and the enduring impact of betrayal.
Finally, the theme of artistic immortality permeates the poem. Despite the poet’s physical death, his voice lives on in the Andalusian valleys, symbolising the enduring power of art to transcend temporal and political constraints.
Analysis of the Verse
The poem employs a narrative structure that mirrors the dramatic tension of a play, with distinct scenes and characters contributing to its allegorical depth. The rhythmic repetition of “nobody, nobody, nobody” creates a haunting refrain, mirroring the silence surrounding Lorca’s death.
The juxtaposition of lyrical descriptions with stark, surreal imagery reflects the interplay of beauty and brutality, a hallmark of Lorca’s style. This tension is particularly evident in the transition from the natural beauty of the orange groves to the unsettling image of sterile butterflies, encapsulating the coexistence of life and death.
Analysis of the Symbolism
The poem is replete with symbols that enrich its narrative. The time of death, three in the afternoon, aligns with religious symbolism, suggesting martyrdom. The Andalusian valleys, where the poet’s voice flees, evoke the natural landscapes central to Lorca’s work and his connection to his homeland.
The gypsy and the dwarf represent the marginalised voices Lorca often championed, while the padre’s tears embody the conflict between spiritual ideals and human fallibility. The grave digger’s enigmatic presence and the man in the black sombrero symbolise the unresolved questions surrounding Lorca’s death and the broader implications of betrayal and repression.
Main Poetic Imagery
The imagery in the poem is vivid and multi-layered, reflecting the interplay of life, death, and artistic legacy. The Andalusian valleys and orange groves ground the narrative in a sense of place, while the sterile butterflies introduce a surreal, unsettling element.
The cobbled streets of Alfacar, the mournful cries of the gypsy and the dwarf, and the enigmatic figure in the sombrero create a tableau of tension and mystery. These images, woven together, evoke a sense of unease and contemplation, capturing the enduring impact of Lorca’s life and work.
Religious Symbolism
Religious symbolism runs throughout the poem, particularly in the character of the padre. His guilt and self-punishment reflect broader critiques of institutional religion and its struggles to reconcile human frailty with spiritual ideals. The setting of the Grand Cathedral and the contrast between sacred and profane underscore this tension.
The time of death, aligned with the hour of Christ’s crucifixion, reinforces the sacrificial nature of Lorca’s death. Through these elements, the poem critiques the societal and religious forces complicit in the poet’s demise, aligning with Lorca’s own interrogation of such institutions.
This tribute to Lorca weaves together history, symbolism, and artistic homage, presenting a profound meditation on the enduring power of his legacy. It stands as both an elegy for the poet and a broader reflection on the themes of loss, resilience, and the transcendent nature of art.
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