response: 'la monja gitana'
Lorca brings us into a world of reform, a nunnery, in this poem. Capturing a feeling of solitude, of patronizing, of an appetite for a former life, La monja gitana (The Gypsy Nun) is a piece of true discomfort of a woman brought from a life she knew into a life she was probably supposed to think better, highlighting the constant attempts for Roma introduction into non-Roma society.
The poem begins with a Roma nun, sitting in the silence of a church as quiet as can be, while patiently embroidering flowers on a piece of cloth, “In a lime and myrtle silence, / a weed among fine herbs, / the nun sews wallflowers / around a straw-colored cloth” (lines 1-4). The introduction of the nun plays a key part in understanding her background and even how she is viewed within the nunnery: a weed among fine herbs. This could be a clear definition of how she is perceived by an outsider. She doesn’t fit in and clearly is marked different from the other nuns. Or it could also be how she is viewed by fellow nuns in the convent. Either way, this particular nun does not fit in within the rest of the other nuns. Perhaps it’s just because she’s rough around the edges or perhaps it’s because the nuns within the convent have a blatant bias against her. Either way, the Roma nun doesn’t fit in.
Yet she sit there, sewing, and around her are presumably other nuns complementing her talent, “Look how well she sews! With such grace!” (line 9). These words sound patronizing, as if the other nuns weren’t expecting much from her. Then again, these patronizing voices could be churchgoers and not the other nuns, looking upon the Roma nun - a stranger - and simply picking out such a trivial activity to make mention of. Forget her faithfulness or her stewardship; forget any character traits or personality. No, she is only know for how well she sews or what she creates.
The nun, however, is described as a prisoner in her own quarters. She longs for the life outside she might have once known, “And out of her eyes the nun sees / two rides galloping by. / A babble of voices, final yet muffled / pusher her habit away from her” (lines 21-24). What follows is her looking out a window, gazing upon the mountains and sky, the sun and remoteness and her heart breaking, longing for what it once knew (lines 25-30).
Here it appears Lorca is demonstrating four traits regarding Roma identity. The first, although subtle, regards their trade craft or craftsmanship. Throughout the poem the Roma nun is sewing beautiful, brightly colored fabrics of which others seem to take note. She’s so good at it that people marvel at the attention to detail; but, she is not sewing what she would really like to be sewing (lines 11-12). Rather she is sewing what seems to be what she is told to sew. However, this area in the poem perhaps is highlighting the Roma’s trait of wearing brightly colored clothing, most of which might be handmade. If so, then the Roma might further be described as self-sufficient and not reliant on the non-Roma society for their needs - again, noting their distinctness and separateness from non-Roma.
As mentioned earlier there is a sense of patronizing occurring in the poem as admirers of her work look at and speak of the sewing as though the nun isn’t expected to do much else. In fact, this is what seems to be her defining trait: her sewing. Lorca seems to be calling attention to identity of the nun becoming her sewing not that the sewing is merely an activity she does well, not truly reflective of the Roma nun as a whole person. Yet, this is a call to attention again by Lorca noting that non-Roma society do not see faces when they look at the Roma. No, they only see tradecraft or skills or products as reflecting who the Roma are. They don’t have faces, they have skills.
The last two themes regarding identity play into one another. The first being the clear attempt on non-Roma society to change or adjust Roma, in a way, requiring the Roma to give up their culture and community in exchange for entry into non-Roma society. After all, the whole poem begs a question: why, in fact, is the Roma nun in the nunnery at all? My guess is she didn’t go there on her own accord for, as Lorca puts it, she gazes out the window and her heart breaks at seeing the wild, rough landscape. No doubt that his scene describes the nun remembering her past life; one that was markedly different and carefree from the one she has now. This then bring us to another example of a reoccurring theme: Roma can’t simply be forced to assimilate into non-Roma society at least according to Lorca; and, any attempt to do so only shadows the real truth that it doesn’t work.
La monja gitana is a beautiful look at the life of a nun who yearns for the life she once had. There is no way she can fit into her different life and even more she is only looked down upon by other in the non-Roma community. She is different for a reason and she knows it. Unfortunately she is only left to mend to her flowers as the outside world passes her by.
The journey Lorca embarks us on in La casada infiel for once clearly puts us in the mind of a young Roma man and we follow him as he does what a stereotypical young man would do all drunk summer’s heat and a festival’s electricity. Through a brief courtship, a romp in the wilderness, and a rowdy ride home, we encounter a young man who views himself as a model for the men in the Roma community, giving the reader a complex but fun perspective of how Lorca’s views the Roma view themselves.
The young man is reflecting back on a night he spent with a woman who he thought was unmarried, young, unattached. They first meet at night during a festival, “It was the night of the Festival of Santiago / and because they felt obligated, / they put out the lanterns, and the crickets ignited in the night” (lines 4-8) and in the farthest corner of the night he meets a woman who ignites in him a passion he seems to not have felt in quite some time (or ever). What captures my attention first and foremost regarding themes of Roma identity are the numerous references to nature included in this poem. First, the remark of the young man about taking the woman to the river (lines 1, 45, 55); second, the vivid description of the wilderness they step into as they rush away from the festival to romp around, “past the blackberry thistles, / past the rushes and hawthorns” (lines 20-21); third, describing her body with references to nature, including flowers, shells, fish, and moonlight (lines 28-33).
I’ve discussed the occurrence of nature in a previous poem. Nevertheless, the prevalence of natural themes in this poem leads me to address it again. Here it becomes a place of shelter and solitude for the Roma man and his partner. Rushing away from the town, they’re far enough that can hear dogs barking far from the river (line 18) and it is here that he feel comfortable to lie down and “make an indent in the earth” (line 23). Curious though is that this safety he feels in nature may well be a symbol of his connection to nature, and that of Roma everywhere. In nature he knows his way, in nature he feels at home. Likewise, a connection to nature signifies a removal from industrial society, as well as hidden from non-Roma society by the trees, “without the silver light in their branches / [they] had grown enormous” (lines 16-17).
During the night, he describes a sense of freedom and exhilaration from the time spent with the woman, “that night I ran / the best of paths, / mounted without stirrups or saddles / on the best horse of them all” (lines 36-39). There’s a duality here that I want to address. First, this could very much be a metaphor for sex - limitless, exhilarating sex. It could also mean that he has become unconcerned with what the rest of the world thinks of him. Which brings to light two traits, in fact. One is that the Roma, for Lorca, are very sexual people. I don’t believe this is the only example throughout the work that explicitly has sexual tones. An unbridled admiration and participation in sex thus becomes a defining trait for the Roma as they don’t seem to fit in the molds of non-Roma society. They’re free to do what want, with whom they want, and don’t have to feel the societal guilt, perhaps, of engaging in such acts. Also, knowing that this young man feels unbridled during this time makes a reader believe that in other times he is very conscious of how non-Roma society views him when he has to intermingle and is not within his own community. Lorca then may be referencing a community awareness of different-ness when Roma are outside the Roma community.
Another curious part of the poem has the young man explicitly saying he will not discuss his romp with the woman saying, “I don’t want to say to any man / the things that she said to me. / Mutual understanding / makes me be very restrained” (lines 40-43). This points out a clear acknowledgment among the young Roma that he can’t discuss the details of the night with anyone - not even his own friends. Perhaps if he did he would be banished from the Roma community and be sought out by the non-Roma community. That then makes a unique trait that, for the his community, they do not want young Roma mingling with non-Roma (not even when it’s just about pleasure). Also it seems the non-Roma society would, if they knew the details, seek him out and chastise him for what he did with the married woman. What comes from this then is a conclusion that the Roma are indeed insular, wanting to shield their young from becoming influenced by non-Roma; likewise with the non-Roma.
And in the end, we see one last trait where he says, “I behaved like who I really am. / Like a genuine gypsy” (line 48-49). Lorca seems to point that this trait, in particular, is very much representative of the Roma community as a whole and that is that there is a chivalrous or moral code flittering among the Roma. In a sense, the Roma are judicially governing over their own. The sense of community is strong - strong enough to cause this young man to not fall into a deep depression or attempt retribution after finding out that the woman he spend the night with was indeed married. He understand that he has an impression to keep, and not just of him, but of his entire community. Despite some less-than-pleasant views of the Roma, it is up to him to turn around any misconceptions. Therefore, he has a sense of duty. A duty to the Roma community.
This poem was indeed a walk through the obvious and not-so-obvious. On the surface it is one of the work’s more sexual poems; yet, when you dig deep past the stanzas, you find that the words are rich in describing Roma identity - connected to nature, insular communities, and a sense of duty.
The poem begins with a Roma nun, sitting in the silence of a church as quiet as can be, while patiently embroidering flowers on a piece of cloth, “In a lime and myrtle silence, / a weed among fine herbs, / the nun sews wallflowers / around a straw-colored cloth” (lines 1-4). The introduction of the nun plays a key part in understanding her background and even how she is viewed within the nunnery: a weed among fine herbs. This could be a clear definition of how she is perceived by an outsider. She doesn’t fit in and clearly is marked different from the other nuns. Or it could also be how she is viewed by fellow nuns in the convent. Either way, this particular nun does not fit in within the rest of the other nuns. Perhaps it’s just because she’s rough around the edges or perhaps it’s because the nuns within the convent have a blatant bias against her. Either way, the Roma nun doesn’t fit in.
Yet she sit there, sewing, and around her are presumably other nuns complementing her talent, “Look how well she sews! With such grace!” (line 9). These words sound patronizing, as if the other nuns weren’t expecting much from her. Then again, these patronizing voices could be churchgoers and not the other nuns, looking upon the Roma nun - a stranger - and simply picking out such a trivial activity to make mention of. Forget her faithfulness or her stewardship; forget any character traits or personality. No, she is only know for how well she sews or what she creates.
The nun, however, is described as a prisoner in her own quarters. She longs for the life outside she might have once known, “And out of her eyes the nun sees / two rides galloping by. / A babble of voices, final yet muffled / pusher her habit away from her” (lines 21-24). What follows is her looking out a window, gazing upon the mountains and sky, the sun and remoteness and her heart breaking, longing for what it once knew (lines 25-30).
Here it appears Lorca is demonstrating four traits regarding Roma identity. The first, although subtle, regards their trade craft or craftsmanship. Throughout the poem the Roma nun is sewing beautiful, brightly colored fabrics of which others seem to take note. She’s so good at it that people marvel at the attention to detail; but, she is not sewing what she would really like to be sewing (lines 11-12). Rather she is sewing what seems to be what she is told to sew. However, this area in the poem perhaps is highlighting the Roma’s trait of wearing brightly colored clothing, most of which might be handmade. If so, then the Roma might further be described as self-sufficient and not reliant on the non-Roma society for their needs - again, noting their distinctness and separateness from non-Roma.
As mentioned earlier there is a sense of patronizing occurring in the poem as admirers of her work look at and speak of the sewing as though the nun isn’t expected to do much else. In fact, this is what seems to be her defining trait: her sewing. Lorca seems to be calling attention to identity of the nun becoming her sewing not that the sewing is merely an activity she does well, not truly reflective of the Roma nun as a whole person. Yet, this is a call to attention again by Lorca noting that non-Roma society do not see faces when they look at the Roma. No, they only see tradecraft or skills or products as reflecting who the Roma are. They don’t have faces, they have skills.
The last two themes regarding identity play into one another. The first being the clear attempt on non-Roma society to change or adjust Roma, in a way, requiring the Roma to give up their culture and community in exchange for entry into non-Roma society. After all, the whole poem begs a question: why, in fact, is the Roma nun in the nunnery at all? My guess is she didn’t go there on her own accord for, as Lorca puts it, she gazes out the window and her heart breaks at seeing the wild, rough landscape. No doubt that his scene describes the nun remembering her past life; one that was markedly different and carefree from the one she has now. This then bring us to another example of a reoccurring theme: Roma can’t simply be forced to assimilate into non-Roma society at least according to Lorca; and, any attempt to do so only shadows the real truth that it doesn’t work.
La monja gitana is a beautiful look at the life of a nun who yearns for the life she once had. There is no way she can fit into her different life and even more she is only looked down upon by other in the non-Roma community. She is different for a reason and she knows it. Unfortunately she is only left to mend to her flowers as the outside world passes her by.
response: 'la casada infiel'
The journey Lorca embarks us on in La casada infiel for once clearly puts us in the mind of a young Roma man and we follow him as he does what a stereotypical young man would do all drunk summer’s heat and a festival’s electricity. Through a brief courtship, a romp in the wilderness, and a rowdy ride home, we encounter a young man who views himself as a model for the men in the Roma community, giving the reader a complex but fun perspective of how Lorca’s views the Roma view themselves.
The young man is reflecting back on a night he spent with a woman who he thought was unmarried, young, unattached. They first meet at night during a festival, “It was the night of the Festival of Santiago / and because they felt obligated, / they put out the lanterns, and the crickets ignited in the night” (lines 4-8) and in the farthest corner of the night he meets a woman who ignites in him a passion he seems to not have felt in quite some time (or ever). What captures my attention first and foremost regarding themes of Roma identity are the numerous references to nature included in this poem. First, the remark of the young man about taking the woman to the river (lines 1, 45, 55); second, the vivid description of the wilderness they step into as they rush away from the festival to romp around, “past the blackberry thistles, / past the rushes and hawthorns” (lines 20-21); third, describing her body with references to nature, including flowers, shells, fish, and moonlight (lines 28-33).
I’ve discussed the occurrence of nature in a previous poem. Nevertheless, the prevalence of natural themes in this poem leads me to address it again. Here it becomes a place of shelter and solitude for the Roma man and his partner. Rushing away from the town, they’re far enough that can hear dogs barking far from the river (line 18) and it is here that he feel comfortable to lie down and “make an indent in the earth” (line 23). Curious though is that this safety he feels in nature may well be a symbol of his connection to nature, and that of Roma everywhere. In nature he knows his way, in nature he feels at home. Likewise, a connection to nature signifies a removal from industrial society, as well as hidden from non-Roma society by the trees, “without the silver light in their branches / [they] had grown enormous” (lines 16-17).
During the night, he describes a sense of freedom and exhilaration from the time spent with the woman, “that night I ran / the best of paths, / mounted without stirrups or saddles / on the best horse of them all” (lines 36-39). There’s a duality here that I want to address. First, this could very much be a metaphor for sex - limitless, exhilarating sex. It could also mean that he has become unconcerned with what the rest of the world thinks of him. Which brings to light two traits, in fact. One is that the Roma, for Lorca, are very sexual people. I don’t believe this is the only example throughout the work that explicitly has sexual tones. An unbridled admiration and participation in sex thus becomes a defining trait for the Roma as they don’t seem to fit in the molds of non-Roma society. They’re free to do what want, with whom they want, and don’t have to feel the societal guilt, perhaps, of engaging in such acts. Also, knowing that this young man feels unbridled during this time makes a reader believe that in other times he is very conscious of how non-Roma society views him when he has to intermingle and is not within his own community. Lorca then may be referencing a community awareness of different-ness when Roma are outside the Roma community.
Another curious part of the poem has the young man explicitly saying he will not discuss his romp with the woman saying, “I don’t want to say to any man / the things that she said to me. / Mutual understanding / makes me be very restrained” (lines 40-43). This points out a clear acknowledgment among the young Roma that he can’t discuss the details of the night with anyone - not even his own friends. Perhaps if he did he would be banished from the Roma community and be sought out by the non-Roma community. That then makes a unique trait that, for the his community, they do not want young Roma mingling with non-Roma (not even when it’s just about pleasure). Also it seems the non-Roma society would, if they knew the details, seek him out and chastise him for what he did with the married woman. What comes from this then is a conclusion that the Roma are indeed insular, wanting to shield their young from becoming influenced by non-Roma; likewise with the non-Roma.
And in the end, we see one last trait where he says, “I behaved like who I really am. / Like a genuine gypsy” (line 48-49). Lorca seems to point that this trait, in particular, is very much representative of the Roma community as a whole and that is that there is a chivalrous or moral code flittering among the Roma. In a sense, the Roma are judicially governing over their own. The sense of community is strong - strong enough to cause this young man to not fall into a deep depression or attempt retribution after finding out that the woman he spend the night with was indeed married. He understand that he has an impression to keep, and not just of him, but of his entire community. Despite some less-than-pleasant views of the Roma, it is up to him to turn around any misconceptions. Therefore, he has a sense of duty. A duty to the Roma community.
This poem was indeed a walk through the obvious and not-so-obvious. On the surface it is one of the work’s more sexual poems; yet, when you dig deep past the stanzas, you find that the words are rich in describing Roma identity - connected to nature, insular communities, and a sense of duty.
