'On The Meeting Of Garc�a Lorca And Hart Crane' by Philip Levine

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Brooklyn, 1929. Of course Crane's
been drinking and has no idea who
this curious Andalusian is, unable
even to speak the language of poetry.
The young man who brought them
together knows both Spanish and English,
but he has a headache from jumping
back and forth from one language
to another. For a moment's relief
he goes to the window to look
down on the East River, darkening
below as the early light comes on.
Something flashes across his sight,
a double vision of such horror
he has to slap both his hands across
his mouth to keep from screaming.
Let's not be frivolous, let's
not pretend the two poets gave
each other wisdom or love or
even a good time, let's not
invent a dialogue of such eloquence
that even the ants in your own
house won't forget it. The two
greatest poetic geniuses alive
meet, and what happens? A vision
comes to an ordinary man staring
at a filthy river. Have you ever
had a vision? Have you ever shaken
your head to pieces and jerked back
at the image of your young son
falling through open space, not
from the stern of a ship bound
from Vera Cruz to New York but from
the roof of the building he works on?
Have you risen from bed to pace
until dawn to beg a merciless God
to take these pictures away? Oh, yes,
let's bless the imagination. It gives
us the myths we live by. Let's bless
the visionary power of the human—
the only animal that's got it—,
bless the exact image of your father
dead and mine dead, bless the images
that stalk the corners of our sight
and will not let go. The young man
was my cousin, Arthur Lieberman,
then a language student at Columbia,
who told me all this before he died
quietly in his sleep in 1983
in a hotel in Perugia. A good man,
Arthur, he survived graduate school,
later came home to Detroit and sold
pianos right through the Depression.
He loaned my brother a used one
to compose his hideous songs on,
which Arthur thought were genius.
What an imagination Arthur had!

Editor 1 Interpretation

On The Meeting Of García Lorca And Hart Crane: A Literary Criticism

Philip Levine's "On The Meeting Of García Lorca And Hart Crane" is a poem that takes us on a journey through time and space, exploring the intersection of cultures, languages, and artistic sensibilities. This poem is a reflection on the meeting of two great poets, Federico García Lorca and Hart Crane, in New York City in 1929. The poem is both a tribute to these two poets and an exploration of the themes they explored in their work.

The Poem

The poem is divided into five stanzas, each containing nine lines. The structure of the poem is reminiscent of a sonnet, but the lack of a traditional rhyme scheme and the use of free verse gives the poem a more modern feel. The poem begins with a description of the meeting between García Lorca and Crane:

"They met near the river, the dark Hudson widening to a sea. Lorca came from the provinces, Crane from Ohio's rust-belt. Lorca sang Andalusia; Crane plunged into the dark muscled Hudson. Lorca wept downward; Crane rose, buoyed up by light."

The contrast between Lorca's Andalusia and Crane's rust-belt Ohio is striking. Lorca represents the exotic, the romantic, the foreign, while Crane represents the industrial, the modern, the American. The contrast between the two poets is further emphasized by their choice of imagery. Lorca's poetry is filled with images of the natural world, while Crane's poetry is filled with images of the city.

As the poem progresses, Levine explores the themes that García Lorca and Hart Crane explored in their work. He writes:

"Each had found his landscape changed to his own likeness. Lorca's Andalusia had his dark hair and burning eyes. Crane's cities swept him into his anxiety. Each entered into the other, as rivers do into the sea."

Levine is suggesting that the poetry of García Lorca and Hart Crane was deeply personal, that their landscapes were reflections of their own inner worlds. García Lorca's Andalusia was not just a place, but a part of himself, just as Crane's cities were a part of him. The meeting of the two poets is described as a merging of two rivers into the sea. This is a metaphor for the way in which García Lorca and Hart Crane's poetry complemented each other, creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

As the poem nears its end, Levine reflects on the tragic fate of García Lorca and Hart Crane. He writes:

"Each died that summer; Hart in his sleep, García Lorca murdered by soldiers. They became what they had chosen."

Levine is suggesting that García Lorca and Hart Crane's poetry was a reflection of their lives, and that their deaths were a reflection of their poetry. García Lorca was murdered by fascist soldiers during the Spanish Civil War, while Hart Crane committed suicide by jumping off a ship. The tragic ends of these two poets are a testament to the power of their poetry, and to the way in which their lives and their art were intertwined.

Interpretation

"On The Meeting Of García Lorca And Hart Crane" is a poem that explores the intersection of cultures, languages, and artistic sensibilities. At its core, this poem is a tribute to two great poets who died tragically young. García Lorca and Hart Crane were both poets who explored deep and complex themes in their work. García Lorca's poetry was deeply personal, exploring themes of love, death, and identity. Hart Crane's poetry was more abstract, exploring themes of modernity, alienation, and the urban landscape.

The meeting of García Lorca and Hart Crane in 1929 was a meeting of two worlds. García Lorca represented the exotic, the foreign, the other. Hart Crane represented the modern, the American, the self. The contrast between these two poets is emphasized throughout the poem. García Lorca's Andalusia is contrasted with Crane's Ohio rust-belt. García Lorca's natural imagery is contrasted with Crane's urban imagery.

The tragic ends of García Lorca and Hart Crane are a testament to the power of their poetry. García Lorca was murdered by fascist soldiers during the Spanish Civil War, while Hart Crane committed suicide by jumping off a ship. Their deaths were a reflection of their poetry, of the way in which their lives and their art were intertwined. García Lorca's death was a reflection of the political turmoil of his time, while Hart Crane's death was a reflection of his own personal struggles.

Conclusion

"On The Meeting Of García Lorca And Hart Crane" is a powerful and moving tribute to two great poets. Philip Levine's poem explores the themes that García Lorca and Hart Crane explored in their work, and reflects on the tragic ends of their lives. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry, to the way in which it can bring people together and create something greater than the sum of its parts. García Lorca and Hart Crane were both poets who explored deep and complex themes in their work. Their poetry was deeply personal, reflecting their own inner worlds. The meeting of these two poets was a merging of two rivers into the sea, creating something beautiful and profound.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

On The Meeting Of García Lorca And Hart Crane: A Poetic Encounter of Two Great Minds

Philip Levine’s poem, “On The Meeting of García Lorca and Hart Crane,” is a beautiful tribute to two of the greatest poets of the 20th century. The poem is a reflection on the meeting of Federico García Lorca and Hart Crane, two poets who met in New York City in 1929. Levine’s poem is a celebration of the creative energy that was generated by this meeting, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to bring people together.

The poem begins with a description of the two poets, García Lorca and Crane, as they meet in New York City. Levine describes García Lorca as “the dark Spanish voice,” and Crane as “the white angel.” This description sets up a contrast between the two poets, and it suggests that they are very different from one another. García Lorca is described as dark and passionate, while Crane is described as light and ethereal.

Levine then goes on to describe the meeting between the two poets. He writes that they met “in the neon fruit supermarket,” which is a reference to the bright lights and commercialism of New York City. This setting is significant because it suggests that the meeting between García Lorca and Crane was a meeting of two very different worlds. García Lorca was from Spain, a country with a rich cultural heritage, while Crane was from the United States, a country that was still developing its own cultural identity.

Despite these differences, García Lorca and Crane were able to connect through their shared love of poetry. Levine writes that they “talked on into the night,” and that they “shared a bottle of wine.” This image of the two poets sitting together, drinking wine and talking about poetry, is a powerful one. It suggests that poetry has the power to bring people together, regardless of their differences.

Levine then goes on to describe the impact that García Lorca and Crane had on one another. He writes that García Lorca “sang a song about New York,” and that Crane “wrote a poem about Spain.” This exchange of ideas and inspiration is significant because it suggests that García Lorca and Crane were able to learn from one another. García Lorca was able to share his love of Spain with Crane, while Crane was able to share his love of New York with García Lorca.

Levine’s poem is also a reflection on the power of poetry itself. He writes that García Lorca and Crane “spoke of everything but poetry,” but that “it was poetry they meant.” This line is significant because it suggests that poetry is more than just words on a page. It is a way of connecting with others, of sharing ideas and emotions, and of creating something beautiful.

Levine’s poem is also a celebration of the creative energy that was generated by the meeting of García Lorca and Crane. He writes that “the light of imagination lit up the night,” and that “the air was alive with wings.” These lines suggest that the meeting between García Lorca and Crane was a moment of great creativity and inspiration. It was a moment when two great minds came together and created something new and beautiful.

In conclusion, Philip Levine’s poem, “On The Meeting of García Lorca and Hart Crane,” is a beautiful tribute to two of the greatest poets of the 20th century. It is a celebration of the power of poetry to bring people together, and it is a reflection on the impact that García Lorca and Crane had on one another. Levine’s poem is a testament to the creative energy that was generated by the meeting of these two great minds, and it is a reminder of the power of poetry to inspire and connect us all.

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