Ode to Walt Whitman

“Ode to Walt Whitman” by Federico García Lorca, translated by Ben Belitt (1955)

This is another English translation of Lorca’s poem, published in the Poetry Foundation’s magazine, Poetry. When analyzing works of poetry in translation, it is often helpful to refer to the work of multiple translators. Lorca’s imagery can be difficult to parse, and if the reader is not fluent in Spanish, multiple translations can help shed light on the meanings of images. If the reader is fluent in Spanish, Lorca’s poem in its original language can be found on the University of Pennsylvania website.

“Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman

The Poetry Foundation offers a number of poems by Walt Whitman that can help a reader of Lorca’s ode understand its subject. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” includes motifs that Lorca utilizes when discussing Whitman, such as the river, clouds, and various animals. The Poetry Foundation’s overall collection of Whitman’s works, as well biographical information about the poet, can be accessed here.

“In Clouds Descending, in Midnight Sleep” by Walt Whitman

This is another Whitman poem from the Walt Whitman Archive. It includes death, as well as clouds and dreaming, which also appear in Lorca’s ode. However, this poem offers a clear contrast to Lorca’s duende, specifically in the way it portrays the dead and nature.

“Duende” by Tracy K. Smith (2007)

Former United States poet laureate Tracy K. Smith is deeply influenced by Lorca’s concept of duende. She titled this poem, as well as her poetry collection in which the titular poem is contained, Duende. She speaks of loss and the flamenco music and dance in which Lorca was immersed while living in Spain.