Martí and Darío

The late 19^th Century and the early 20^th was a time for the individual.  It was a time when personal expression began to take on a modern form, and private emotions became a medium for the poets.  Ruben Dario and Jose Marti both admired Walt Whitman’s passion and openness.  They followed his example in the personal and political nature of their poems.  All utilized the first person speaker to add depth and resonance to their work.  Whitman uses this voice to “celebrate myself, and sing myself” (648).  He is aware of his sole, his body, his place and presence in the world.  He is a force, and proud of his power.  Whitman uses his voice to express his individuality.  Marti uses the same first person persona   to express his connection to his culture and his land.  “I come from everywhere/ And I am going toward everywhere”.  Marti’s voice is of the people, but he too recognizes his own power. “I have seen in the dark night/ Rain over my head/ The pure rays of lightning/ Of divine beauty” (681).    Marti sees power in the earth, in the world, in the bonds of family.  Dario uses the first person persona as a confrontational device.  He speaks directly to Roosevelt, to Whitman himself, to the entitlements of an American hero. 

Works Cited

Dario, Ruben.  To Roosevelt. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013.  693. Print.

Marti, Jose. I am an Honest Man. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013.  681-682. Print.

Whitman, Walt.  Song of Myself. The Norton Anthology of World Literature: New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2013.  648-653. Print.