EDUCATION, THE ARTS, & INTELLECTUALS
5.5 THE ARTS
Since literacy and basic education are but starting blocks for citizens' academic development, it is in the domain of literature that Marti
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recognizes a means of developing a deep consciousness of man's social realities as well as his own character, hopes, and responsibilities. Hence Marti regards literature, and effectively the arts in general, as vital tools for developing man's intellectual maturity and wellbeing, and above all, humaneness. As Kirk (1986) notes, Marti's ideas in this domain illustrate 'the fundamental importance of intellectual pursuits in any society' (Kirk
1986: 109). For that reason Marti writes,
what richness, if not that of spiritual strength and intellectual comfort, will help this people in its colossal misfortune? ....
Life is unpleasant without the comforts of intelligence, the pleasures of art and the internal gratification that the goodness of the soul and the exquisiteness of taste produce to us (cited in Kirk 1986, 109).
In his collections of poetry Marti sought to achieve many things. Common to many is the voice of a poet who crafts a 'baroque, obscure, foaming, volcanic, abrupt and strange world' (Shnookal and Muiiiz 1999, 14). The poems contained in the collection Simple Verses, published in 1891, for instance reaffirm Marti's close awareness of, and solidarity with, the subjugated, alienated human spirit. Arguably more serene than others, this collection is born of pain and anguish (see JM 189111999h, 251-71). It furthermore confirms the poet's insistence, as indicated also in the title, on a 'more direct and unencumbered form of expression' (Shnookal and Muniz 1999, 14). This volume emphasizes the strong connection that exists for Marti, between life and thought, that is, human realities and reflective yet rousing literature, human experience and aesthetic expression. In his Prologue to Simple Verses Marti dwells on the personal experiences that inspired these works:
My friends know how these verses came from my heart. It was in that winter of despair, when, due to ignorance or fanatical faith or fear or courtesy, the nations of Latin America met in Washington, under the fearful eagle. Who among us has forgotten ... the agony ... the horror and shame .... [Up on]
the mountains: there streams ran, clouds closed-in upon clouds, and I wrote poetry (JM 189111999h, 259).
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The first poem (1) of Simple Verses has over time become Cuba's most beloved popular song, known also as Guantanamera (Kronenberg 2005a).
It tenderly, yet austerely considers some elemental human experiences and emotions; most, if not all, are possibly the poet's own. At times deeply personal and placid, Marti's emotional flight is set in an uncomplicated, tranquil mode, thus validating 'the necessity of putting feelings in plain and sincere form' (JM 189111999h, 260). Extracts from the English version of the poem are offered below, accompanied by some brief commentary:
Serving as overture, the first verse considers themes inherent to humankind - character, heritage, and the quest to realize during one's lifetime, one's potential human talents:
A sincere man am I
From the land where palm trees grow, And I want before I die
My soul's verses bestow
Verse 2 draws attention to the universal quality and significance of the human being. Accentuated also are a person's close affinity both with other human subjects and the natural sphere:
I'm a traveler to all parts, And a newcomer to none;
I am art among the arts, With the mountains I am one
The next verse bolsters human judgment, both in the moral and rational sense which ensues from an enriched intellect and human experience:
I know the strange names of willows, And can tell flowers with skill:
I know of lies that can kill, And I know of sublime sorrows
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The follo\\ring two verses symbolize a soaring outlook that merges diverse sensations - despair, intimacy, splendor, new life, and faith:
J have seen through dead oj night Upon my head Jail,
RaysJormed oJ the purest light From beauty celestial.
J have seen wings that were surging From beautiful women's shoulders, And seen butterflies emerging From the reJuse heap that molders
Verse 6 conjures up thoughts of malice, loyalty, vulnerability, and reliability:
J have known a man to live With a dagger at his side, And never once the name give
OJ she by whose hand he died.
Verses 7 and 15 reconsider the experience of pain, anguish and solitude- both in the particular and broader political realm:
Twice, Jor an instant, did J My soul's reflection descried, Twice: when my poor Jather died, And when she bade me goodbye.
J have hid in my brave heart The most terrible oj pains, The son oj a land in chains Lives Jor it and dies apart
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Verse 8 dwells on the concerns of everyday family life:
I trembled once, when Ijlung The vineyard gate, and to my dread, The dastard hornet had stung My little girl on the forehead
The next verse brings back albeit ironically, feelings of hopelessness and melancholy - as encountered by those committed to social change:
Such great luck to me once came As no man would dare to envy,
When in tears my jailer read to me The death warrant with my name
Verse 10 rekindles the innate liaison of the particular with the universal, articulated through feelings of desolation and dimness:
I hear a sigh across the earth, I hear a sigh over the deep;
It is no sigh reaching my hearth, But my son waking from sleep.
These verses not only echo Marti's deep-rooted cognition of human conduct and experience but also his compassion for them.