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139th Virtual Poetry Circle

Welcome to the 139th Virtual Poetry Circle!

Remember, this is just for fun and is not meant to be stressful.

Keep in mind what Molly Peacock’s books suggested. Look at a line, a stanza, sentences, and images; describe what you like or don’t like; and offer an opinion. If you missed my review of her book, check it out here.

Also, sign up for the 2012 Fearless Poetry Reading Challenge because its simple; you only need to read 1 book of poetry. Please visit the stops on the National Poetry Month Blog Tour from April 2011 and beginning again in April 2012.

Today’s poems is from Federico García Lorca:

Arbolé, Arbolé . . . (translated by William Logan)

Tree, tree
dry and green.

The girl with the pretty face 
is out picking olives. 
The wind, playboy of towers, 
grabs her around the waist. 
Four riders passed by
on Andalusian ponies, 
with blue and green jackets 
and big, dark capes. 
"Come to Cordoba, muchacha." 
The girl won't listen to them. 
Three young bullfighters passed, 
slender in the waist, 
with jackets the color of oranges 
and swords of ancient silver. 
"Come to Sevilla, muchacha." 
The girl won't listen to them. 
When the afternoon had turned
dark brown, with scattered light, 
a young man passed by, wearing 
roses and myrtle of the moon. 
"Come to Granada, muchacha." 
And the girl won't listen to him. 
The girl with the pretty face
keeps on picking olives 
with the grey arm of the wind 
wrapped around her waist.
Tree, tree
dry and green.

What do you think?

Comments

  1. Love these lines:

    “The wind, playboy of towers,
    grabs her around the waist.”

  2. Gorgeous — I’ve never read any of Lorca’s poetry before but I love this one — the image of wind as a man — playboy of towers! — is fantastic. And the girl picking olives… We were stationed in Sicily when I was a kid, and I have an image of my neighbors picking olives — this poem makes me both nostalgic and wistful, in that way that Lorca evokes a kind of made-up memory for me. Loved this. Thanks for sharing!