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Innovation and French Influence in the Metrics of Rubén Darío
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
Extract
A Notable contribution to the already imposing mass of critical material on Rubén Darío has recently appeared in the form of Dr. Arturo Torres-Ríoseco's Rubén Darío: casticismo y americanismo de su obra. Its special interest is the author's endeavor to combat two unfortunate tendencies evident in much of the critical material on Darío: (1) that of ascribing an undue share in the poet's artistic novelties to French influence, and (2) that of considering as “innovations” by Darío details of technique which he really resurrected, with little or no change, from earlier Spanish poetry. In cases where excess of zeal has led other critics into the errors above mentioned, Mr. Torres' program of destruction has been a real contribution to truth. It seems to the present writer, however, that a similar excess of zeal for the “castizo” has led the Chilean scholar into errors at least as great as those he ascribes to others. The above remarks apply particularly to Mr. Torres' chapter on “Metrical Resurrections and Innovations,” to the consideration of which the present article is limited.
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- Research Article
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- Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1934
References
1 (Harvard University Press, 1931).—The study is written from an unusual point of view, and is in many respects unique. About half of the volume is devoted to an extremely judicious and impartial biography of the poet. The bibliography, while it suffers from occasional important omissions, is well selected, extensive, and accurate. Many of the critical observations are of great value.
2 Rubén Darío: casticismo y americanismo, p. 134.
3 Op. cit., p. 139.
4 Historia de mis libros, Obras Mundo Latino, xvii, 191.
5 E. K. Mapes, L'Influence française dans l'œuvre de Rubén Darío, pp. 93–94.
6 Flammarion, Lieds de France, p. 59.
7 Prosas profanas, Obras Mundo Latino, ii, 73.
8 Cantos de vida y esperanza, Obras Mundo Latino, vii, 169.
9 Gustave Kahn, Premiers poèmes; Chansons, x.
10 Torres, op. cit., p. 138.
11 Discourse read in the Spanish Academy, Oct. 27, 1907, in reply to Mr. Rodríguez Marín's address of reception. Later published in Estudios de crítica literaria, v, 268–270.
12 Op. cit., v, 247.
13 There are indications that an earlier edition appeared in 1893. This fact, as is evident, does not affect the conclusion here reached.
14 Francisco Contreras, Rubén Darío (Barcelona, 1930), p. 177.
15 Historia de mis libros, ed. cit., p. 179.
16 Cantos de vida y esperanza, ed. cit., p. 133.
17 Torres, op. cit., p. 147.
18 Obras poéticas de D. Luis de Góngora, The Hispanic Society (1921), i, 132.
19 M. Grammont, Petit traité de versification française, p. 18.
20 Grammont, op. cit., pp. 32–33.
21 La fleur d'or; Les trois plaisirs.
22 Op. cit., pp. 138–139.
23 Rodó y Rubén Darío (1918), p. 96.
24 Torres, op. cit., p. 138.
25 See Max Henríquez Ureña's mention of this fact, note 23 above.
26 Op. cit., p. 139.
27 Gustave Lanson, Hist. de la lit. fr., p. 1131.
28 Mapes, op. cit., p. 153.
29 Torres, op. cit., p. 143.
30 Henriquez Urefia, op. cit., p. 5.
31 Op. cit., p. 6.—The bearing of the above conclusion on the problem of Darío's irregular alexandrines will be considered later in this article.
32 Torres, op. cit., p. 139.
33 Molière, Le Misanthrope, ll. 291–292.
34 Corneille, Suréna, l. 268.
35 Racine, Les Plaideurs, l. 12.
36 This fact is of primary importance in determining the influence of Hugo's alexandrines upon Darío.
37 Leconte de Lisle, Poèmes tragiques; Les siècles maudits.
38 François Coppée, Olivier, iv.
39 Jean Moréas, Cantilènes.
40 Paul Verlaine, Sagesse, iii.
41 Verlaine, Épigrammes, iii.
42 Verlaine, Invectives, viii.
43 Gustave Kahn, (Premiers Poèmes; Chansons, x).
44 Op. cit., p. 136.
45 Autobiografía, Obras Mundo Latino, xv, 70.
46 Historia de mis libros, ed. cit., p. 206.
47 Torres, op. cit., p. 139.
48 Torres, op. cit., p. 136 and note, pp. 136–137
49 Torres, op. cit., pp. 149–156.
50 Autobiografía, ed. cit., p. 70.
51 Torres, op. cit., p. 8.
52 Poema de Fernán González, B.A.E., lvii, 438 a.
53 López de Ayala, Rimado, B.A.E., lvii, 509 a.
54 Apolonio, B.A.E., lvii, 145 d.
55 Poema de José, B.A.E., lvii, 236 c.
56 Rimado, B.A.E., lvii, 1499 a.
57 Parenthetically, it is strange that Mr. Torres can find no difference between the above ternary alexandrines of Darío, and other similar ones of a later date, and the lines he quotes from early Spanish authors. Certainly the differences in both accentuation and length are most striking.