Ideology and aesthetics in Luis Cernuda's Un rio, un amor (1929)

McCulloch, J. (2015) Ideology and aesthetics in Luis Cernuda's Un rio, un amor (1929). Bulletin of Spanish Studies, 92(8-10), pp. 469-492. (doi: 10.1080/14753820.2015.1110945)

Abstract

Luis Cernuda's poetic work has usually been divided into two main periods: the non-political poetry written prior to 1930, and the more heavily politicized poetry that was critical of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship thereafter. However, drawing on the work of Fredric Jameson, this article attempts to provide a ‘political’ reading of Luis Cernuda's landmark work of Un río, un amor (1929). Jameson argues that all literature is political, in the sense that its deep structural working are shaped by ideology, even if not apparent at the first reading. I will examine this claim, with specific reference to two of the poems from Un río, un amor. Tracing the influences on Cernuda's poetry, this article will uncover the aesthetic layers of the poems in question, to unmask them as ideological constructs. Building of Derek Harris' research, this article recognizes the heavy influence of Paul Eluard on Cernuda, and assesses what is going on ideologically.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McCulloch, Dr John
• Authors: McCulloch, J.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures
• Journal Name: Bulletin of Spanish Studies
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1475-3820
• ISSN (Online): 1478-3428
• Published Online: 25 November 2015