Symbolism In Cuban Poetry

Cuban Literature At first glance, Cuban literature may seem edgy or even quirky with its selection of settings and objects, but upon analyzing deeper, it is clear that Cuban poetry and literature is depressing and distressing, Themes of oppression and immigration surge through the literature of the region, developed by other literary devices, but why? Cuba, under the rule of Fidel Castro, is a downcast nation. The influence of the dictatorship is clear in Cuban poetry through theme, diction, symbolism, and personification.
Themes prevalent in Cuban literature are often negative and doleful. Themes of self-depreciation and failure are conventionally used in Cuban poetry. For example, in the Cuban poem, “Man on the Edge” by Herberto Padilla, the main character is named as a hero, but does not wish to be recognized as such. “He does not want to be a hero/ not even a romantic/ around whom we might/ weave a legend.” (Padilla pg. 307). This quote displays the theme of self-depreciation though a character who is not comfortable with himself and does not wish to be noticed. Another theme used in Cuban literature is hopelessness, which entails war and oppression. “True landscapes of these times/ of war./...S O S/… P A T R I A O M U E R T E .”(Padilla pg.306) is a classic example of this theme. The poem “Landscapes”, also by Herberto Padilla displays themes of defeat and hopelessness by just describing the way a Cuban region looks after war. The creativity of themes in Cuban literature has been smothered by the oppression Cuban authors are put under. Consequently, themes of wanting to escape and the commonality of immigration are extensively used. The effects of Cuban dictatorship run rampant through the literature of the area. In “Man on the Edge”, “the man who goes over the wall,/...fugitive breathing hard/ hidden in the back of a truck/ fleeing from terrorists…” (Padilla pg. 307) is referring to immigration in Cuba. The themes of Cuban literature are developed by the use of excessive diction in the poetry of the region. The diction used in Cuban poetry gives comprehension to the reader and is a key element in developing the poems. Diction used in Cuban poetry aids the reader in understanding the setting and the …show more content…
One instance of this technique is used in “A Fountain, a House of Stone” by Herberto Padilla, in which the world is symbolizing Fidel Castro, the dictator of Cuba. In this poem, the world is described in a negative connotation throughout. “Can we describe the world this way,/...nailing us down with its eyes,/hunting down in our innards” (Padilla 308). The personification used by Padilla amplifies the anger and the quality of the symbolism in the poem. In “Man on the Edge”, also by Herberto Padilla, the wind is used as a symbol of self. “Like an enormous wind/ which barely survives in the wind outside” (Padilla pg. 307) is an example of personification and symbolism coinciding. Together, the two literary devices are connecting to the self-depreciation theme the poem withholds. Another example of the pair of literary devices working together in “Man on the Edge” is with time symbolizing oppression. “Feeling himself enclosed by his times/...condemned irretrievably to his own time” (Padilla pg. 307) explains the idea. Time is referred to negatively as if it is holding the main character of the poem back from his goals, in the same way oppression