Lullaby and Other Existential Poems: Exploring Life, Death, and Love
Lullaby (Existential/Parental Love)
Written after the loss of his child, this poem personifies death as a constant companion rooted in the poet’s existence. Despite the pain, the poet finds solace in the memory of his daughter. This lullaby, with its gentle, rhyming verses, is a tender expression of love and grief.
So, Please (Existential)
This monosyllabic poem, using onomatopoeia and dialogue, portrays death’s silent arrival and the void it leaves behind. The simplicity of the poem emphasizes death’s everyday presence, personified as an unforgiving force from which there is no escape.
Lady Last Night, Would Not You Be Angry (Existential)
Death is depicted as a bourgeois lady—distinguished, elegant, and dispassionate. This cold, calculating figure is a constant presence, unyielding and inevitable.
In St. Vincent Ferrer (Civil/Everyday Life)
This poem focuses on St. Vincent Ferrer, a 14th-15th century Valencian religious figure known for his public speaking and moralizing writings. It acknowledges his influence and closeness to the Avignon pope, as well as his later life as a mendicant preacher. It also notes the presence of xenophobic ideas in some of his arguments.
12-Testament Wall (Existential)
This poem explores a dark, intimate space marked by love and memories. Referencing George St. Jordi, the poem’s passion intensifies through the repetition of “your name and my name,” culminating in a physical expression of love within this secret, cherished space.
13-You Will Assume the Voice of a People (Civil)
This poem discusses the poet’s role as a voice for the common people, using future tense to express a commitment to their struggles and a willingness to risk everything for their cause.
14-I Saw the Building Plate 1 Manises (Civil)
A simple, visual chronicle celebrating Valencian art and craftsmanship.
Escriche Not Eglogues (Civil/Everyday Life)
This poem portrays the urban landscape of wartime Valencia while focusing on a specific character. It connects to other Valencian writers through the recurring theme of passionate encounters, highlighting the poet’s intense, hyperbolic portrayal of love and desire.