lizardcha's review against another edition
5.0
The spirit of Borikén lives in Julia's poetry! This collection has bloomed in my heart ♥ I can't wait to share her verse with everyone I know
extraspecialbitter's review against another edition
5.0
"Song of the Simple Truth" compiles all of the known poetic output of Julia de Burgos, a cultural icon of Puerto Rican literature. While her best known poems (e.g. "Rio Grande de Loiza") are prominently represented, the crowning achievement of this collection are others that appear in writing for the first time. This bi-lingual edition features the translation of Jack Agüeros, who also provides an extensive introduction which serves as a brief biography of a woman whose poetry was shamefully neglected during her short lifetime.
ivanainthecity's review against another edition
De Burgos (1914-1953) was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and feminist icon, as well as a fierce advocate for Puerto Rican independence. Growing up on the Island, I studied her and her poems, but I wasn’t as aware of her socialist, pro-Puerto Rican independence ideals. There are lots of abajo-los-Yanquis and sharpening of machetes in her poems (“afila tu azada/ afeita el machete/y templa tu alma” - “sharpen your hoe/whet your machete/and temper your soul”). And tbh, those were some of the ones that fired me up the most cuz imperialism is still wreaking havoc everywhere. De Burgos wrote many poems honoring Puerto Rican and other Latin American freedom fighters and you best believe I took notes.
SOME FAVORITE LINES
❤️🔥 All of “A Julia de Burgos” - it’s my mom’s fave poem (and mine)! No way I can choose just one line.
❤️🔥On Cuban national hero and poet José Martí: “recio Dios antillano, pulso eterno, Martí” (“vigorous Antillean God, eternal steady hand Martí”).
❤️🔥On Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo: “que las flores no quieran germinar de tus huesos, /ni la tierra te albergue.” (“May flowers refuse to germinate your bones,/and the earth refuse you shelter.”) This poem, “Hymn of Blood to Trujillo,” had me reaching for my still-unfinished copy of “The Feast of the Goat.” 😬
❤️🔥On Puerto Rican freedom fighter Pedro Albizu Campos: “tu nombre/canción en la boca de un río,/ relámpago antillano cabalgando la tierra,/amapola de América dibujada en mil pétalos,/universo rendido al alma borinqueña.” (Your name, song in the mouth of a river, Antillean lighting hoofbeating the earth,/ American poppy sketched in a thousand petals,/universe surrendered to the Borinquen [PR’s true name] soul.”)
SOME FAVORITE LINES
❤️🔥 All of “A Julia de Burgos” - it’s my mom’s fave poem (and mine)! No way I can choose just one line.
❤️🔥On Cuban national hero and poet José Martí: “recio Dios antillano, pulso eterno, Martí” (“vigorous Antillean God, eternal steady hand Martí”).
❤️🔥On Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo: “que las flores no quieran germinar de tus huesos, /ni la tierra te albergue.” (“May flowers refuse to germinate your bones,/and the earth refuse you shelter.”) This poem, “Hymn of Blood to Trujillo,” had me reaching for my still-unfinished copy of “The Feast of the Goat.” 😬
❤️🔥On Puerto Rican freedom fighter Pedro Albizu Campos: “tu nombre/canción en la boca de un río,/ relámpago antillano cabalgando la tierra,/amapola de América dibujada en mil pétalos,/universo rendido al alma borinqueña.” (Your name, song in the mouth of a river, Antillean lighting hoofbeating the earth,/ American poppy sketched in a thousand petals,/universe surrendered to the Borinquen [PR’s true name] soul.”)
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