The Best Works: Federico Garcia Lorca

Federico Garcia Lorca is possibly one of the most recognised names in 20th Century poetry. During one of the greatest ages of European Modernism, Spain's 'Generation of '27' (referring to the year 1927) came to prominence with his works at the forefront. Not only a poet, but also a man of plays, Garcia Lorca is also famous for being a rival of Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. He was killed by them in 1936 and his body has yet to be entirely located.

There are a great number of amazing themes to explore in Garcia Lorca's poetry, especially if you enjoy the notion of European Bohemianism that spurned from the working class lifestyles of various countries such as France and Spain, Italy and Russia. Garcia Lorca's poetry explores not only these new bohemian themes, but also has the spirit of traditional Spanish culture blended with extreme human emotions expressed somewhat best by Garcia Lorca's own words.

Garcia Lorca's most famous works include "Gypsy Ballads" and "Poet in New York" and from the latter in 1929, he seemed to foretell his own demise in the strangest and possibly the scariest way possible. Here it is:

"Then I realised I had been murdered.

They looked for me in cafes, cemeteries and churches

.... but they did not find me.

They never found me?

No. They never found me."

This is an extract from, "The Fable and Round of the Three Friends" in Poet in New York (1929).

The great many themes expressed by Garcia Lorca are maybe impossible to name as a whole, but I have managed to collate a few in order for us to learn a bit about his style, his tradition, his love for the new and old and hopefully, to get you into reading some Garcia Lorca if you haven't done so already.

- Spanish Folklore

Garcia Lorca explores the traditional side of Spanish Literature by providing bases from the country's folklore and old tales into his poetry. This is especially prominent in the Gypsy Ballads in which Garcia Lorca showcases the classical Spanish style - it is something beautiful and I know people who have tried to accompany it to Traditional Spanish Music.

- The Moon

The moon is possibly one of the most well-known symbols in Garcia Lorca's literature because it often foretells or hints at death, dying or suffering. The night atmosphere tends to present this uneasiness and stillness in Garcia Lorca's literature. But the moon is always a source of death, grief and the dying. Not only does it hint at that fact, but it also calms the mood - death is almost accepted.

- Love

Garcia Lorca's language of love is as famous as the language of love by any other great poet. The difference is that Garcia Lorca doesn't just use love to show the bond between two people, but between a man and his morals, a man and his destiny, a person and their fate and even love is there to represent the acceptance of death and suffering. It is a versatile theme in Garcia Lorca's poetry and in "Gypsy Ballads" it is very prominent, but I say to read "Poet in New York" is to understand how Garcia Lorca's language of love really evolved.

- Sacrifice

Sacrifice is so heavily linked to love and pain in Garcia Lorca's poetry that it really is hard to miss it. In the poems contained in "Gypsy Ballads" where we see love, we nearly always see some act of sacrifice. The protagonist, speaker, narrator etc. must either sacrifice something or has already sacrificed something and whether the sacrifice has done any good, we don't really find out in the poem. Instead we find out the nature of the sacrifice and what suffering it has caused for love. It's like listening to the most emotional music you've ever heard.

Let's take a look at some of Garcia Lorca's greatest works then, and yes - you can take a look at them for these themes and symbols if you wish. He really was a great writer. (This list will also include his plays).

Five Great Works by Federico Garcia Lorca:

5. The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife

4. The Butterfly's Evil Spell

3. Poem of the Deep Song

2. Gypsy Ballads

1. Poet in New York