Poets, Spanish; Spanish poetry -- History and criticism; Spanish poetry -- Translations into English
The Toluca edition of Heredia’s poems in two volumes, 1832, does great
credit to the Mexican press, being one of the best printed Spanish
works to be found. But it is extremely scarce, and therefore deserves
a more detailed account of it than might be requisite with works
better known. In addition to those contained in the first edition,
which is yet comparatively frequently to be met with, it contains his
philosophic and patriotic poems, some of which are very spirited, and
one, the ‘Hymn of the Banished,’ an extremely fine one. The copies
of the work sent to Havana had these patriotic poems taken out, as
otherwise they would have been seized by the authorities; so that
most of the copies of the work existing are deficient with regard
to them. In the place of the odes thus taken out, another poem, ‘On
Immortality,’ was inserted, which, however, is principally taken from
the Seventh Book of Young’s Night Thoughts, though not so stated. The
other principal poems, in respect of length, are, ‘On the Worth of
Women,’ and ‘the Pleasures of Melancholy.’ Of another very fine ode,
‘To Niagara,’ a very excellent translation into English blank verse has
appeared in the United States Review.
In the preface to the second edition, he states that he had been
induced to undertake it, upon finding that several of the poems in the
first had been reprinted in Paris, London, Hamburg and Philadelphia,
and had been received with much favour in his own country, where
the celebrated Lista had pronounced him “a great poet.” There can
be no doubt that other editions would have met with very favourable
reception, had it not been for the circumstance of his being
considered an author obnoxious to the Spanish government. As it is,
the Creoles of Cuba have manuscript copies of his poems circulating
amongst themselves, generally faulty as dependent on the taste of the
individuals who had copied them. The effect of this is apparent in the
only edition I am aware of, that has been published in Spain, that of
Barcelona, in 1840, acknowledged to be taken from a manuscript copy,
in which not only are some of his best compositions omitted, such
as the ‘Lines to his Horse,’ and the poem entitled, ‘The Season of
the Northers,’ but some others, for instance, the ‘Ode to the Sun,’
are given imperfectly. In return, it gives a poem on receiving the
portrait of his mother, which had not appeared in the former editions,
and which is not unworthy of being compared with Cowper’s on the same
subject, though treated differently.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account