Concerning the Angels
Concerning the Angels by Rafael Alberti, published by City Lights Books in 1995, is a bilingual edition of the renowned Spanish poet’s work, originally released in 1929. This 153-page volume represents a significant shift from Alberti’s earlier, more light-hearted poetry, delving into themes of death, grief, and loss while maintaining a lyrical quality that reflects both imaginative and realistic elements.
Readers will encounter a profound exploration of the poet’s “dark night of the soul,” as the text intertwines inspirational and religious themes with a deep emotional resonance. The work stands alongside other significant literary contributions of its time, offering insights into the complexities of love and the human experience. This edition invites readers to engage with Alberti’s masterful use of language and imagery, making it a noteworthy addition to the study of European poetry.
Official synopsis Publisher
First published in Spain in the summer of 1929, Concerning the Angels (Sobre los angeles) is the great Spanish poet Rafael Alberti’s masterpiece, on a par with T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, Pablo Neruda’s Residencia en la tierra, and Federico Garcia Lorca’s Poeta en Nueva York. It marks a major departure from the light-hearted tone of the poet’s earlier verse, which was notably influence by Andalusian folksong. This bilingual text is at once intensely imaginative and intimately realistic, a lyrical illumination of the poet’s “dark night of the soul.”
Rafael Alberti, born in 1902, is the last surviving member of the so-called Generation of 1927 that included such notable Spanish poets Federico Garcia Lorca, Vincente Alexandre, Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillen, and Luis Cernuda.
Christopher Sawyer-Laucanno lives in Massachusetts and teaches in the program in Writing and Humanistic Studies at MIT.
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