Romanticism in Gustavo A. Bécquer and Edgar A. Poe. A Comparative Analysis

1 Roman icism in Gus a o A.Bécque and Edga A.Poe. A Compa a i e Analysis Tama a Ma ínez Pé ez Depa amen o de Filología Inglesa y Alemana G ado en Es udios Ingleses Tu o a: Ma ia José Chi i e de León 2014-2015, San C is óbal de La Laguna 2 ABSTRACT Roman icism was a mo emen ha eme ged in he la e 18 h cen u y in Eu ope, speci ically in Ge many and England bu i soon a e sp ead o Ame ica as well. Al hough i is e y simila in Spain and in he Anglo-Saxon adi ions, he e a e some di e ences ha au ho s usually po ay in hei w i ings, such as se ing, he ision o na u e, lo e, he imagina i e mind, he idea o he sublime o dea h, among o he s. While explo ing his mo emen he concep o “imagina ion” has been a key elemen since i is wha allows he poe o anscend, o des oy he limi s and o pe cei e and o c ea e. In his mo emen he e a e wo impo an au ho s ha w o e mainly poe y and ep esen e y well he Roman ic mo emen . They a e Edga Allan Poe and Gus a o Adol o Bécque . Th ough he use o imagina ion hey ha e pe ec ly c ea ed cha ac e s able o anscend and o c ea e o he eali ies by means o hei “imagina i e mind”. I is seen in hei poems Annabel Lee by Poe and El ayo de luna by Bécque . In hese poems hey p esen he poe who is a lo e despe a e o each his woman. In he case o Annabel Lee he maiden is dead and he poe h ough his imagina ion is able o pe cei e he and o li e his li e wi h he e en i she is imma e ial and cold, in he omb, she is spi i . Bécque ins ead p esen s Man ique, who lo es WOMAN as a ca ego y, he lo es he soul, he anima, he eminini y o women and when he is o ally su e he has ound “he ” he ealizes she is no wha he hough. The poe s in hese wo poems show a he end di e en eac ions owa ds li e, owa ds eali y. Key wo ds: Roman icism, Annabel Lee, El ayo de luna, Poe , Imagina ion, Women 3 INDEX 1. In oduc ion……………………………………………………………………………………...5 2. His o ical Con ex . Roman icism in Edga Allan Poe and Gus a o Adol o Bécque …………….7 2.1. A Ten a i e App oach………………………………………………………….................7 2.2. Roman icism as a Cul u al-Li e a y Phenomenon………………………………………...7 2.2.1. English and Spanish Roman icism…………………………………………................8 2.2.2. Na u e………………………………………………………………………..............10 2.2.3. Imagina ion………………………………………………………………………….11 2.2.3.1. Symbol…………………………………………………………………………..11 2.2.3.2. The Idea o he Sublime……………………………………………….................12 2.2.3.3. Visions. Li e as a D eam………………………………………………................13 2.3. Edga Allan Poe……………………………………………………………….................14 2.3.1. Wo ks. S yle…………………………………………………………………………15 2.3.2. Annabel Lee………………………………………………………………………….15 2.4. Gus a o Adol o Bécque ………………………………………………………...............16 2.4.1. Wo ks. S yle…………………………………………………………………………17 2.4.2. El ayo de luna………………………………………………………………………17 3. A Compa a i e Analysis o Annabel Lee and El ayo de luna………………………………….18 3.1. Imagina ion and Na u e………………………………………………………………….18 3.1.2. Se ing……………………………………………………………………………..21 3.2. The Visiona y and he Senso ial…………………………………………………………22 4 3.3. Women and he Feminine………………………………………………………………..23 3.4. Male Cha ac e s………………………………………………………………................25 3.5. Dea h and Madness……………………………………………………………………...26 4. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………….................29 5. Re e ences……………………………………………………………………………………...31 5 1.INTRODUCTION The aim o his disse a ion is o in es iga e he ela ion be ween he Spanish and English Roman icisms h ough a compa a i e analysis o Annabel Lee by Edga Allan Poe and El ayo de luna by Gus a o Adol o Bécque in bo h, con en and s yle. Since he e we e no p e ious s udies abou his subjec I made use o di e en English bibliog aphic sou ces oge he wi h he p e ious concep s we had s udied in his deg ee. Apa om ha , I ead di e en Spanish bibliog aphies and I ound accu a e Llo éns’s book abou Spanish Roman icism. English and Spanish Roman icisms a e wo di e en adi ions bu hey sha e some aspec s ha make hem be ela ed wi h each o he . Fo my p ojec I ha e selec ed wo s o ies belonging o he Spanish and English Roman icisms and his way i has been possible o syn he ize he main aspec s ha ela ed hem bo h. Th ough his p ojec I will e e o he di e en s o ies as poems because, despi e being a sho s o y and he o he one a poem, in he sho s o y El ayo de luna, we ind a poe ic na a o , he is an au ho , a genius, a poe , he is no a na u alis na a o and his makes he s o y be pe cei ed as a poe ic ale. Th ough he eading o di e en au ho s such as Je y Phillips o J.R Wa son I could lea n a li le mo e abou his mo emen and I could suppo my ideas while compa ing he wo poems analyzed in his wo k. The main p oblems I ound while doing my p ojec we e he li le ime I had o ead and selec he bibliog aphy, o his eason I s a ed eading some ime be o e in o de o de o e he es o he ime o w i ing my p ojec . Ano he p oblem was he amoun o in o ma ion I had o selec since Roman icism is a e y well- known mo emen and he e was a g ea deal o wo ks om di e en au ho s. Thus I had o selec he mos accu a e ones om my poin o iew while eading e y ca e ully a he ime I was ying o ind ou he simila i ies and di e ences be ween bo h adi ions. Th ough his deg ee we ha e been explo ing di e en li e a y mo emen s and Roman icism appealed o me as I pe cei ed i ull o sen imen and mys e y. I ha e always been in e es ed in his mo emen since he beginning o his deg ee and his wo k was pe ec o my pu pose. I wan ed o explo e he concep o Roman icism, which I unde s and as a “ en a i e”, because i is impossible o gi e a de ini e 6 and clea de ini ion o wha i is. Roman icism is unde s ood by e e y people in a di e en way and I wan ed o app oach i , o in es iga e and syn he ize he main aspec s ha o m his mo emen and o d aw compa isons and simila i ies be ween he English and Spanish Roman ic mo emen s. Wha eally caugh my a en ion in his p ocess o esea ching was he ac ha his mo emen eme ged spon aneously, wi h no pu pose. I was a way o hinking, a di e en way o unde s and he wo ld and some w i ings s a ed o he published ollowing di e en ideals eme ged in he la e 18 h cen u y. Apa om ha , he way in which i sp ead all o e he wo ld was e y cu ious because e e ywhe e i sha ed hose ideals bu he mo emen adap ed o he condi ions o ha ime and acqui ed he cha ac e is ics o he place. I can be no iced while compa ing Annabel Lee and El ayo de luna, ha will be commen ed in he ollowing pages. 7 2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT. ROMANTICISM IN EDGAR ALLAN POE AND GUSTAVO ADOLFO BECQUER 2.1. A Temp a i e App oach The e m Roman icism can be de ined as a new a is ic and cul u al mo emen ha eme ged in he la e 18 h cen u y. This mo emen no only in ol es li e a u e o he a s bu i also had in luences on philosophy o poli ics. Je y Phillips s a es ha Roman icism as asse ed he powe o he indi idual himsel and i also ma ked an e a in which he idealiza ion o he indi idual p e ailed: in he ields o a s, i ma ked a o al ascina ion wi h he indi idual genius; as o poli ics i p omo ed social equali y; and philosophically speaking, all u h became jus a ma e o human pe cep ion (4). Ye he e m Roman icism was a e m ha was used ime a e he Roman ics s a ed o w i e. They we e no an es ablished g oup, hey we e jus a g oup o indi idual au ho s who paid a en ion o he indi idual himsel , awa e o he possibili ies o humankind. Vicen e Llo éns has exp essed a simila iew wi h espec o Spain: “ Se admi e que ha habido omán icos; lo que se niega es que hayan enido consciencia de g upo con unas in enciones, unos obje i os de e minados y una es a egia pa a loga los” (39) 1 . 2.2. Cul u al-Li e a y Phenomenon This mo emen was concei ed by many people as i is s ill oday, as a eac ion agains he o me alues and adi ions p esen a ha ime, agains con en ionalisms. I was o ally opposed o he Neoclassic a o he p e ious cen u y because Neoclassicism was based on he p inciples o he Enligh enmen : e e y hing was unde s ood by eason, e e y hing had i s scien i ic side. Thus, his pe iod ma ked a o al b eak wi h he pa e ns and con en ions o he p e ious gene a ions. 1 My ansla ion: “I is admi ed ha oman ics ha e always exis ed, bu ne e as a g oup wi h in en ions, objec i es and s a egies o achie e hem”. 8 Be o e Roman icism, li e a u e was mo e ealis ic, i was somehow o ien ed o social, a ional, and ma e ial issues. This idea has also been poin ed ou by Llo éns: “Es oda una ac i ud an e los p oblemas del homb e, de la sociedad, de la cul u a” (37) 2 . This change in people’s men ali y, and he g owing con idence in p og ess and science, made people become c i ical bou he chu ch and he es ablished dogmas, ye mo e spi i ual a he same ime. This is he eason why some o hese w i e s in he la e 18 h cen u y, s a ed o w i e in a di e en , Roman ic way. Roman ic w i e s us ed hei eelings and he unlimi ed powe o he human pe cep ion, as humans we e able o see much mo e beyond. The objec i e pe spec i e was somehow dis ega ded and he subjec i e pe cep ion o he wo ld oge he wi h hei expe ience was wha shaped his mo emen . They could ind beau y in he ugly, hey could see u h in a simple elemen o na u e, hey pe cei e God in ha beau y and i was a di e en eali y only o hose who looked h ough Roman ic eyes. Phillips igh ly poin s ou his idea: Roman icism celeb a ed he di ini y o he indi idual. I assumed ha indi iduals migh ha e an immedia e ela ionship o God, inso a as hey placed hemsel es wi hin Na u e. The Roman ics belie ed ha human na u e was made in “likeness o God”. They el ha communion wi h Na u e would e eal he di ini y o human beings as a highe , in ui i e u h (10). Thus, ou mind is ee and unique, and wha shapes us as indi iduals is ou capaci y o ans o m ideas and eali y in o some hing new. The Roman ic poe is capable o seeing and ans o ming and he wo ks h ough his imagina ion and he inspi a ion o he momen . I is by means o his wo k ha he asse s he powe and uniqueness o he indi idual himsel . A powe ul imagina ion can e en ans o m he wo ld (Wa son, 23). 2.2.1. English and Spanish Roman icism Spanish Roman icism was somehow in luenced by he English Roman icism ha had eme ged long ime be o e i came o Spain. Spanish Roman icism was highly in luenced by Eu ope -Ge many and England- and also he F ench e olu ion le a deep imp in : he os e ing o equali y, libe y and a e ni y we e sou ces o inspi a ion o he Roman ics. As Llo éns has indica ed: 2 My ansla ion: “I is an a i ude o he oubles o man, socie y and cul u e.” 9 Los omán icos españoles p e i ie on pa a exp esa su isión del mundo unos cuan os emas que coinciden básicamen e en su ondo y su en oque con los del oman icismo eu opeo. Ello es una p ueba más de que deseaban enlaza con es e, no con épocas li e a ias del pasado (50) 3 . As a consequence, Classic eadings o Neoclassic con en ions o he p e ious cen u ies we e o ally le aside in his pe iod in a o o “da ke ” o non-mains eam mo i s. Bu i is impo an o no ice ha Medie al imes we e p esen in Spanish cul u e and adi ions and his has been poin ed ou by Llo éns oo: “La li e a u a omán ica e a en g an pa e his ó ica” (50) 4 . He also asse s, “Decididamen e p i ó la his o ia nacional sob e la ex anje a. Y la época p e e ida ue la Edad Media” (51) 5 . Roman icism also eached Ame ica, he ideals ha Roman icism p omo ed we e e y impo an in he Ame ican a is ic consciousness and poli ics. A ha ime people s a ed o be agains Cal inism which p edica ed ha e e y human being was p ede e mined and T anscenden alism appea ed as a philosophical and eligious mo emen in he 19 h cen u y, lea ing aside all hose eligious belie s. Cal inis s pe cei ed na u e as a symbol o in e p e God, since o Cal inis s ou li e was a epe i ion o some hing al eady c ea ed by God o us. Ins ead, T anscenden alism “was uly a ma e o going a li le beyond. T anscenden alis s assumed ha he ul ima e u h o spi i ual na u e o he uni e se was eadily a hand-na u al and accessible o e e y human being” (Phillips, 34). T anscenden alism ied o b eak wi h he na a i e and spi i ual excess and o go back o na u e, wi h a mo e deis ic pe cep ion o God. Phillips poin s ou ha T anscenden alism: Wen a li le beyond Eu opean Roman icism, causing many o de ine he anscenden al mo emen as Ame ican Roman icism. Like Eu opean Roman icism, T anscenden alism sha es many o he same cha ac e is ic a i udes: a deep app ecia ion o na u e; a p e e ence o emo ion o e eason; a belie in he sel and he po en ial o he indi idual; a p edilec ion o he a is in pa icula and he c ea i e spi i in gene al; and a dis us o classical o ms and adi ions (34). Ame ican Roman icism, which is s ongly ela ed o English Roman icism, was his mix u e o T anscenden alis and Roman ic ideals. The e a e wo ideas han can be highligh ed: he impo ance o na u e on one side, and he indi idual’s eedom on he o he side. 3 My ansla ion: “In o de o exp ess hei ision o he wo ld, he Spanish Roman ics p e e ed some opics ha coincided in e ms o app oach and backg ound wi h he mos ecu en opics in Eu opean Roman icism.” 4 My ansla ion: “Roman ic li e a u e was o a g ea ex en his o ical.” 5 My ansla ion: “Na ional his o y p e ailed o e he o eign one and he p e e ed epoch was medie al imes.” 16 The ac ha he body is unde g ound is no eason ei he o s op being oge he , he wo ships and admi es he . He spends nigh s in he omb, wi h he . While eading he poem we can pe cei e a child who is lamen ing he dea h bu a he same ime he is p oud o being in lo e wi h he s ill. I is clea when he commen s ha he Angels and Demons en ied hei lo e (L.30-31). He is no able o a ionalize ha dea h is a na u al ac in li e ha should be assumed. He p e e s li ing wi h he idea ha she is s ill he e because dea h is no an end, i is ano he ansi ha ensu es e e ni y. He hinks i was he wind which killed he , demons, angels, supe na u al elemen s o na u e i sel , e c. I is impo an o no ice he ambi alence o hese h ee elemen s al eady commen ed: Wind, Angels and Demons. They can be seen in he poem as e il, hose who sepa a ed Annabel Lee in a physical le el om he poe , bu a he same ime hey can be seen as good elemen s since hey made Annabel Lee each e e ni y. While eading he poem we can see a child’s mind despi e he ac ha he poe had al eady g own up physically, bu p obably no psychologically. He is able o ind beau y in dea h, o him she is s ill beau i ul, and he e is no ho o in dea h. I is connec ed wi h he idea o he Sublime ha makes him pe cei e his p ocess o dea h (coldness and he decomposing co pse) as some hing beau i ul, since beau y is no in he ma e ial bu in he spi i ual. Th ough his he is able o each he Pla onic wo ld. He is able o sleep besides he omb and o spend his whole li e li ing on his memo ies. He can be pe cei ed as an innocen pe son who is somehow mad because o lo e, he sees beyond he ma e ial. Fo him his gi l is his eason, he only hing he needs. Woman is ep esen ed as some hing pe ec beyond dea h. I is impo an o no ice ha hey we e kids so i is no mal o hink ha she was pu e and innocen , and ha ’s he eason why his lo e seems e en s onge . 2.4. Gus a o Adol o Bécque Gus a o Adol o Bécque (Se illa, 1836-Mad id, 1870) makes a mos p o o ypical po ai o a Roman ic cha ac e : he su e ed om ube culosis since young age and p esumably om syphilis as he had many di e en ela ionships wi h women much a e he By onic he o. He used women as inspi a ion in his w i ings. Acco ding o Llo éns, Bécque could be conside ed Pos -Roman ic bu his “in imismo amo oso” 9 , u ns him in o Roman ic (37). 9 My ansla ion: “Lo ing in imacy” 17 2.4.1. Wo ks. S yle His mos impo an wo k is Rimas y Leyendas (1º edi ion 1871). Becque ’s p ose and poe y a e simple and a he same ime easy o unde s and. “Leyendas” ollows Poe’s s yle, and also ec ea es an as ic, da k and mys e ious se ings (Spanish Books). I is impo an o no ice ha Bécque was in luenced by he Anglo-Saxon adi ion, as i is seen in his hyme “Tu pupila es azul”, equen ly sub i led as “Imi a ion o By on”. He was highly in luenced by Lo d By on, he p obably ead By on’s poe y in o de o be in con ac wi h he English Roman ic adi ion. Some au ho s ha e also no iced he ela ion be ween Bécque and By on. I is impo an o commen ha By on lo ed sea s o ms and i can also be seen in Becque ’s poem “Olas Gigan es” since he ly ic shows he same admi a ion o big wa es. Fu he mo e, as By on, Bécque lo ed he escaping o e ed by he sea (Fa nswo h, 250). 2.4.2. El ayo de luna In his ale which da es om 1862 (compiled in Rimas y Leyendas, 1871), Bécque p esen s he s o y o Man ique, a Spanish Roman ic man ha is desc ibed as soli a y and di e en . He has wei d likings acco ding o he people ha su ound him and he enjoys na u e and silence. The s o y ec ea es he nigh in which Man ique becomes obsessed wi h a woman. He hinks he has hea d and seen he and ollows he h ough long pa hs despi e he people’s gossips who say he e is no woman he e. He idealizes he , he hinks o he as a all, beau i ul woman wi h blue eyes and a long whi e d ess, a woman ha is able o lo e in he same way he does. He wan s he and his eeling is so s ong ha he isualizes he un il he momen he ealizes ha all his an asies we e p oduc o a simple moon beam in he middle o he da k nigh . This seems o ake Man ique back o he eal wo ld and his c ea es disappoin men on him, he hen hinks e e y hing in li e is a lie, and ha no hing is wo h li ing. 18 3.COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF ANNABEL LEE AND EL RAYO DE LUNA 3.1.Imagina ion and Na u e One hing ha should be kep in mind while eading hese poems is ha imagina ion is he link connec ing e e y hing in di e en le els ( eali y o an asy, dea h o li e, sleeping o awake, e c). In Annabel Lee, he poe is able o isualize a de unc woman. Man ique in El ayo de luna is able o isualize a woman ha has ne e exis ed. The poe ic oice in Annabel Lee s a s by elling child en’s s o ies abou a place close o he sea. The poe e e s o i as a “kingdom by he sea” which can be in e p e ed me apho ically since he was able o ado e his gi l as a queen and hey li ed jus lo ing each o he . A i s glance he i s pe son na a i e oice in he poem is seen as a man who is elling a pas s o y abou his childhood, “I was a child and she was a child”. In Roman icism we can obse e a special appe i e o childhood, ee and mo e imagina i e. As poin ed ou by Wa son, Roman ic poe s a e in e es ed in he expe ience o childhood. D eams, acco ding o F eud, in ol e ‘p ima y p ocess o hinking’, he kind o men al ac i i y ha can be ound in babies since babies a e no su e whe e hei own sel es end and he ex e nal wo ld begins (64). The ollowing pa ag aphs e eal ha he is s ill innocen since he a ibu es he loss o his belo ed gi l o he highbo n kinsman (L.17) whose iden i y is no clea in he poem bu i may symbolize membe s o he amily. I is impo an o no ice ha he ime in which Poe w o e his poem was The Vic o ian E a, hus women we e supposed o be innocen , obedien and submissi e no only o hei husband bu o male membe s o hei amily. The poe also a ibu es he dea h o Annabel Lee o he Angels. The Angels a e winged c ea u es, a symbol o bo h dea h and esu ec ion connec ed o he Pla onic 10 . When e e ing o Angels we can see he image o wings, as in Pla o’s my h, he idea o lying o he na u al and o iginal place in which he e is an ideal s a e we lose when we come down o he ma e ial wo ld. The Pla onic de ies he na u al and supe na u al, since he supe na u al is no longe spooky, he Roman ic poe s a s o ind 10 Acco ding o he Pla onic my h ha we ind in Symposium, he soul is di ine, immo al and aspi es o eedom, while he body holds i in e e s as a p isone . Dea h dissol es his compac , bu only o e-imp ison he libe a ed soul a e a sho ime: o he wheel o bi h e ol es inexo ably. Thus he soul con inues i s jou ney, al e na ing be ween a sepa a e un es ained exis ence and esh einca na ion, ound he wide ci cle o necessi y, as he companion o many bodies o men and animals. 19 beau y in he supe na u al. We can connec he winged c ea u es o he poem wi h lies, which a e bo n om a ch ysalis and a e always unde a p ocess o ans o ma ion. Also winged c ea u es a e ela ed o dea h, as lies who a e in con ac wi h co pses. In his case he Angels a e hose ones who a e in con ac wi h Annabel Lee, hey a e dea h i sel , and hen hey lea e he dead body, e u ning o he wo ld o e e nal u hs, he wo ld o ideas. They somehow esu ec . Thus, o he poe he only way o e ade is by means o dea h. I is much ela ed wi h Roman icism. Ou pe cep ions a e ans o med h ough ou imagina ion. This way Roman ic poe s main ain hei innocence and he pu i y o hei spi i . I is impo an o see he image o he Roman ic poe as he By onic he o, he poe is challenging all hose people, Angels and Demons. He is s ong and he asse s ha no one will sepa a e him om he soul o Annabel Lee (L.32). The poe ’s imagina ion he e is he link ha allows him o a el o he imes in which hey we e oge he , i is wha keeps him ali e, and i is wha makes him enjoy his idealized woman ha was no only he symbol o embodimen o he eminine, bu soul and spi i . She is The Anima, she has become hose winged c ea u es and she is e u ning o he wo ld o ideas, e u ning o innocence and ue ision. Imagina ion a he same ime is a link be ween he poe and na u e since he is able o pe cei e na u e in a di e en way h ough his imagina i e mind. Na u e plays an impo an ole in his poem since he wind is desc ibed as a s ong na u al o ce able o ake li e away. The sea is also men ioned as a sou ce o li e. The kingdom was by he sea, by a sounding sea. I ep esen s li e and pu i y, anquili y and con inui y as wa es a e always mo ing o and o. Na u al elemen s can be pe cei ed wi h a human quali y. S a s a e looking eyes, he b igh eyes o Annabel Lee. The moon is p o ec i e, powe ul, a highe o ce, which makes him imagine and d eam abou he . The moon can be seen as pe ec ion i sel since sphe es ha e usually been conside ed elemen s ha ep esen he pe ec ion and he moon has his sphe ical o m. The sea, he s a s and he moon, he na u al elemen s men ioned in his poem, ela e Anabel Lee wi h he concep o e e ni y: she is now one wi h na u e, and she will be he e bu me ged wi h na u e. Fo his eason he poe spends nigh s ou side, by he side. 20 In El ayo de luna, he au ho p esen s Man ique whose imagina ion makes him unable o dis inguish be ween wha is eal and an asy. The e a e di e en le els o eali y and he disloca ion o hese le els makes ou mo e c ea i e capaci ies p e ail. Roman ics wan his momen o disloca ion o p e ail, o enjoy he imagina i e momen since i will no las o e e and a e ealizing he eali y hey will be disappoin ed. Man ique is no able o know wha has happened o whe he wha happened was a e e ie, “dadas mis condiciones de imaginación” he claims. I is e y common in Roman ic w i e s. In con as wi h Annabel Lee, in which he poe seems o be o ally sane and doesn’ know any o he eali y han he one he c ea es, he e Man ique shows his doub s: “Yo no sé si es o es una his o ia que pa ece cuen o o un cuen o que pa ece his o ia”. As in he case o Annabel Lee, his imagina ion is a link be ween he au ho and na u e and na u e acqui es human quali ies as well. His imagina ion p esen s plan s as obs acles be ween him and his belo ed woman: “Se p ecipi ó en su busca, sepa ando con las manos las edes de hied a que se ex endían como un apiz de unos en o os álamos”. He e we can see plan s as obs acles in his ela ion o ha woman ha impede him going as e o each he . Plan s a e oo ed o he wo ld, o he ma e ial wo ld, ins ead he “woman” lies, plan s impede him o each he in his chase a e he woman plan s a e he link connec ing him o he ma e ial wo ld and he canno each he , ha loa ing moon beam. Also he wind is e y impo an . In Annabel Lee he wind is he one which chilled and killed he gi l (L.26) Bu in El ayo de luna he wind is he one ha con uses him, ha makes he hink she exis s: “El ien o que suspi a en e las amas; las hojas, que pa ece que ezan en oz baja, me han impedido oí lo que ha dicho”. The e o e, in Poe’s poem, he wind makes he gi l disappea , and in Bécque ’s s o y he wind ec ea es he woman. The moon is also p esen in his na a i e poem since he moon c ea es he beam he ollows, he moon is seen as a pe soni ica ion o wha he wan s. Bu i is impo an o know ha he doesn’ wan a woman he sel , he needs eedom, imagina ion. He lo es he eminine bu no in a sexual con ex , he wan s o ind his o he hal , he igu e o woman as pu i y, he eminine o imagina i e will lead him o eedom. Imagina ion implies soli ude in bo h poems, in El ayo de luna Man ique “Amaba la soledad, po que en su seno, dando ienda suel a a la imaginación…”. In he case o Annabel Lee, he poe lo es being alone and enjoys he company o his de unc wi e, ha way he can use his imagina ion in o de o e i e he 21 memo ies and eelings when hey we e oge he . He is able o li e his own li e away om he eal wo ld bu ha o him is mo e eal han he eal one. Man ique lo es escaping om he wo ld and hose ones who can conside him c azy. He enjoys his own p esence. 3.1.2. Se ing In Spanish Roman icism and English Roman icism he e is p edilec ion o nigh se ings as we can obse e in hese wo poems. The moon e eals i is a nigh se ing bu also Man ique commen s in El ayo de luna ha i was a summe nigh . I is ela ed o he cogni i e, o his pe cep ion. This summe nigh b ings him images o his “woman”. I is he pe ec nigh o imagina ion: da kness, wa m h, silence wi h he occasional sound o wind, e c. Llo éns has d awn a en ion o he ac ha “De las ho as y las es aciones hay p edilección po la noche, la p ima e a y el o oño. Ellos es debido a que los omán icos gus an de asocia lo na u al y los sen imien os” (58) 11 .Thus, i is clea ha his emphasis on he use o na u e is linked wi h he eelings he Roman ic w i e is ying o show. In some Roman ic English w i ings na u e is used as p incipal se ing, whe eas in Spanish Roman icism he e is a p edilec ion o adi ional ci ies, al hough na u al landscapes a e also used. This idea comes om Llo éns who also says: “En cuan o a las ciudades exis e una e alo ización de lo sencillo y humilde, po un lado, y del a e medie al, á abe o gó ico, po o o. Se escogen ciudades a ís icas, ca gadas de his o ia y adición” (58) 12 . In El ayo de luna, we can ge an image o a adi ional ci y as he poem e e s o monas e ies, go hic chimneys, con en s, b idges and also men ions “mu allas de So ia.” The se ing in Annabel Lee can be in e p e ed as a na u al landscape close o he sea, in he middle o he nigh when he moon ises, s a s begin o shine and whe e he omb is placed. The e is a s ong connec ion among he sea, he moon and he omb in his poem. The sea is ull o signi icance since i is deep, unknown, mys e ious and sublime. The moon is nigh , and is ull o ligh , a special ligh ha 11 My ansla ion: “Rega ding ime and seasons he e is a p edilec ion o nigh , sp ing and au umn. I is because Roman ics like o associa e he na u al wi h eelings.” 12 My ansla ion:” Rega ding ci ies, he e is a e alo iza ion o he simple and humble and also o he medie al a , A ab o go hic.” 22 con uses, i is sugges i e o Roman ics in con as wi h he sunshine. The omb ins ead is coldness, he mo al, he cada e ous. Bu his mys e ious symbolism ep esen s o Roman ics an oppo uni y o each he wo ld o ideas, beau y, u h and he e e nal. Thus his se ing is no any hing sca y, con a y o wha one could expec om his place. Ins ead he nigh and he omb by he sea a e ep esen ed as a beau i ul place whe e hey can enjoy he p esence o each o he a ease. In El ayo de luna he au ho p esen s a Spanish medie al ci y bu he e a e some elemen s ha can emind us o Annabel Lee. Apa om he moon and s a s p esen as well in his s o y, ombs a e also men ioned. He seems e y in e es ed in app oaching dea h, while si ing on he ombs. We can see in bo h poems, poe s who a e no a aid o dea h and spend hei ime he e. They a e no a aid since dea h o Roman ic poe s ep esen s a new oppo uni y, he beginning o some hing new ha will lead hem o e e ni y. In he case o Man ique he was “sen ado al bo de de una umba, p es ando oído a e si so p ende alguna palab a de la con e sación de los mue os.” 3.2. The isiona y and he Senso ial Senses a e e y impo an in Roman ic poems because Roman ics a e able o pe cei e bu wha is in e es ing is how pe cep ions lead hem o isions. The poem Annabel Lee shows he sounding sea which e okes eelings o con inui y and epe i ion especially in he sound o wa es, and a he same ime i ep esen s some hing ha is cons an ly epea ing in he poe ’s mind. The lo e he eels is somehow ela ed o he wa es he is hea ing om he sounding sea. I e okes he same s o y, he s o y o hem being oge he and lo ing one ano he while wa es sound and ime passes. Tides a e seen as an imagina i e ou because hey wash he sho es and e u n o hei o igin. They ha e hy hm, hey come and go. I has e y Roman ic po en ials, i is he e u n o pu e lo e, o e e ni y, o he Pla onic. The poe en isions he h ough d eams also while con empla ing he moon and s a s which make him emembe he b igh eyes. Sigh becomes a Roman ic sense since i is an excuse o see he isual appea ances as illusions, sigh is icky. In he case o Man ique, in El ayo de luna, he senso ial is ep esen ed h ough smells and wha he hea s. He ells ha he nigh was “llena de pe umes y de umo es apacibles, y con una luna blanca y 23 se ena, en mi ad de un cielo azul, luminoso y anspa en e”. This c ea es his ision o he woman, he en isions he pe ec ion h ough his senses, and he e o e his quo e ep esen s wha he hinks o a woman, i is he eminini y p inciple, he soul, he Anima. “Pe umes” ep esen he swee smelling o a woman; “whi e moon and se ene” a chas e woman; “in he middle o he blue sky” since his pe ec woman has blue eyes and is as “ligh ening and anspa en ” as pu e and since e. 3.3. Women and he Feminine Some hing ha is clea ly ela ed in bo h Spanish and Ame ican Roman icisms is he igu e o he woman, which acqui es di e en quali ies and oles. In his espec Llo éns makes clea ha “es usual e la como ‘un ángel de amo ’, inocen e, he mosa, uen e de ilusiones pa a el co azón del homb e a quien lle a a cimas de elicidad y i ud” (53). Ye woman is also associa ed o dea h. Dea h is he one which libe a es man om chaos, and woman is he igu e ha b ings him happiness in li e. I is clea while compa ing Annabel Lee and El ayo de luna. Bo h women a e pe secu ed by a man because hey a e he ones who will b ing peace o he man’s soul. Women a e innocen , pu e, i uous. I is pe cei ed in Poe’s w i ings he ision o dea h ha is linked o beau y, especially in Annabel Lee since dea h is some hing ambi alen : i is he cada e ous, i ep esen s he mo al bu a he same ime i becomes he poe ’s key o anscend dea h. Annabel Lee is a co pse bu i simply ein o ces his lo e o he . Acco ding o Phillips, in his essay “The Philosophy o Composi ion’’ Poe obse ed ha he dea h o a beau i ul woman was “ he mos poe ical opic in he wo ld” (65). Woman as a symbol is p esen in bo h poems. In Annabel Lee, he poe seems o be a child s ill in lo e wi h his maiden, s ill pu e and innocen , and he only one he lo es. Howe e , Man ique in El ayo de luna, lo es he igu e o women, women’s sensuali y and essence, he eminine. In El ayo de luna we can ead “Amaba a odas las muje es un ins an e: a és a po que e a ubia, a aquélla po que enía los labios ojos, a la o a po que se cimb eaba al anda como un junco”. In he case o Annabel Lee, he poe doesn’ wan anyone else, he jus lo es Annabel Lee, he s ays besides his dead wi e in o de o ha e a li e oge he e en i i isn’ eal. Thus, while Annabel Lee can be seen as a maiden ha is somehow p o ec ing he man and in lo e wi h him, he woman in El ayo de luna could be iden i ied as he goddess Diana. As s a ed by Ca asco, Diana was: 24 Diosa de los bosques y de la caza: Diana de i a su nomb e po ab e iación del cél ico di a nox, es o es, día noche, po que la luna, la misma que Diana apa ece en esas dos épocas, o po que es e plane a que di unde solo más luz que odas las es ellas jun as, p oduce en la noche el e ec o del día (515). I we ela e he woman in El ayo de luna wi h Diana, we can see ha in he poem she is being placed in he middle o na u e, among ees, in he middle o he nigh bu s ill she is a moon beam. She shines and excels among he o he di e en elemen s in ha se ing, she is un eachable and sugges i e, and she is b inging up imagina i e encoun e s. Somehow she is p oducing he e ec o day, she shines and a ac s Man ique. Diana was pu e, chas e, she was a hun e . Bu he e is ambi alence while e e ing o he “hun e ” because al hough he e is a momen in he poem in which Man ique is ollowing he , ying o ca ch he , she is he one ying o lead him in o he ap, she is a ac ing him o he poin he ealizes she has ne e exis ed. A e a momen o g ea ness and ele a ion o spi i , he alls, e u ns o eali y and obse es ha she is jus a moon beam. I is impo an o see he ela ion be ween Diana as he moon i sel and he woman in Becque ’s ex on a physical le el. Since in El ayo de luna she appea s as ha ing a whi e long d ess, she is easily iden i ied wi h Diana. In El ayo de luna we can ead: El eco de sus pisadas o una sola palab a suya que uel a a oí , un ex emo de su aje, un solo ex emo que uel a a e , me bas a án pa a consegui lo. Noche y día es oy mi ando lo a delan e de mis ojos aquellos pliegues de una ela diá ana y blanquísima; noche y día me es án sonando aquí den o, den o de la cabeza, el c ujido de su aje, el con uso umo de sus inin eligibles palab as. As B.G.P s a es: “cuando se oma a Diana po la Luna, iene ado nada la cabeza con una media luna, y es a o dina iamen e es ida con una única la ga y lo an e que llega has a sus alones: iene en sus manos un elo lige o, al cual hace da uel as al ededo de su cabeza’’ (444) .Hence, in hese wo di ec quo es we pe cei e simila i ies be ween bo h and his image is wha misleads Man ique in o hinking i was a woman ins ead o a moon beam shining in he middle o he da k nigh . On he o he hand, he woman-wi e in Annabel Lee is pe ec o he poe and he e a e no physical desc ip ions, i jus men ions ha she was beau i ul. Unlike El ayo de luna, he has a clea image o how his pe ec woman should be, he has idealized he and he imagines he all and wi h blue eyes. He needs he o be ha way, he is su e she is, his obsession o ind he is so s ong he is able o belie e he has eally seen he since she is eal despi e she is dead. All his is eal beyond dea h, and i is c ea ed h ough he poe ’s imagina ion. In Annabel Lee he says ha hey bo h lo e each o he and ha i was he only pu pose hey had, lo ing each o he , o become one. In he case o El ayo de luna his mo i is also p esen , he seems o wan a 25 woman ha is a e lec ion o himsel , a pa o him. I is like he is looking o someone ha has been made o him, his complemen , and his o he hal o eel whole, comple e and eplenished. He is despe a e o ind his. I is a pa o himsel he needs o ind, his anima, soul, ins illing li e h ough imagina ion, beyond ma e ial dea h. 3.4. Male Cha ac e s In hese wo poems we ha e wo male cha ac e s: he poe in Annabel Lee, and Man ique in El ayo de luna. The igu e o men in hese wo poems is ha o lonely males, able o enjoy hei own p esence in a landscape ha helps hem d eam imagina i ely. They bo h app oach lo e in he same way, hey lo e s ongly e en i his lo e is a an asy o imma e ial. Bu while Annabel Lee is he only one lo ed and e e nally, Man ique ends o lo e e e y single woman o WOMAN as ca ego y and he s ops lo ing “he ” when he ealizes i was a e e ie. In Annabel Lee, he man in lo e ne e ealizes ha i is a an asy c ea ed by his mind because o him she is eal and he is able o pe cei e his h ough his imagina i e lo e. The poe , who is and will be e e nally in lo e wi h Annabel Lee, doesn’ show eelings o so ow, pain o sadness. Ins ead he is esen ed wi h hose who made he die. Bu a he same ime he is joy ul because he has c ea ed a wo ld by himsel , i is his own wo ld, c ea ed by his imagina ion and lea es he eade wi h a eeling o hope a he end. He is s ill wi h he . Angels and Demons en y him. He is s onge han hem, he is supe io , and he can be seen as a supe io o ce ha is able o anscend so ow, loss and dea h and is a he same ime able o c ea e his wo ld o his own in which hey emain oge he . He c ea es he moon, he c ea es he s a s, he sounding sea. He can be seen as a Demiu ge acco ding o Pla onic iews, he can be pe cei ed as a highe elemen in he uni e se able o c ea e, like a pain e on an emp y can as. A he same ime he is a Demiu ge de ying dea h, he is s onge han dea h, he is able o anscend i . Li le by li le he econs uc s he wo ld he would like o ha e li ed in and is able o emain he e, o e and o e . I is no he case o Man ique in El ayo de luna, a P ome heus pa allel who is “The G eek god who de ied Zeus o s eal i e o humankind” (Doughe y, 3), and P ome heus was con inually punished. P ome heus ep esen s he su e ing, bu he is also conside ed o be humankind’s c ea o so i can be pe cei ed he same cha ac e is ics in bo h lo e s, he poe in Annabel Lee and Man ique. Fi s o all he ole o c ea ion, how hey manage o c ea e hei own concep ion o how a pe son should and will be, and a he same ime in Annabel Lee we can see ha he poe as God, is en ied. On he con a y,