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a =
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Richo d R. Co d uell
Rico do Londei o
O Ruidos y Suime as: Zo illa and he
new poe ic gene a ions*
by
Ma a Palenque
Uni e si y o Se ille
...como po la cascada an odando /
aguas y espumas en opel sono o.
Jos6 Zo illa
Ruidos y quime as is one o he epig aphs o a delica e and compelling wo k
by Ge a do Diego en i led "No as sob e Zomllay m isica de B6cque ", published along
wi h o he au ho 's wo ks in a 1975 s udy en i led Es udios omdnlicos. In his s udy,
Diego singled ou he alue o he au ho o Don Juan as a b e unne wi h espec o
he poe ic gene a ions ha ollowed he oman ics and ealis s. To suppo his
asse ion, he ci ed Zo illa's musical acili y and his me ic o iginali y, his sensibili y
owa ds he sublime, his elici ous way o cap u ing colou and his cons an senso y
desc ip ions o places and en i onmen s, be hey exo ic o local (o adi ional). He
u he asse ed: "en es os mundos ma e iales o quim6 icos Zo illa se an icipa a
B6cque , a Sal ado Rueda, a Villaespesa, a Lo ca, a los que Juan Ram6n llama a
poe as alhamb is as..."(39). I is no only ha Ge a do Diego was a emp ing o
e indica e he o ien al ein o Zo illa's poe y - as one may be emp ed o belie e
on basis o he ci a ion -, bu ha , in line wi h he ideas ha I pa aph ased ea lie , he
wen e en u he o a i m he decisi e impo ance o his inno a ions, as much in he
o mal a ena (o musical, he noises) as in he con en ; in he sense o his c ea ion o
a pa icula poe ic wo ld o magic and an asy o illusion ( wo impo an concep s o
mode nism as is he one I will discuss nex , he chime as). A new language, oge he
wi h a new musicali y bo h in in ima e communion, sp ing o h om Zo illa's e ses,
and a e he ing edien s he needed o de ine his new imagina y o senso y wo ld. His
*T ansla ed om he Spanish by Ma k Malin
I The commen a y o Juan Ram6n Jimdnez can be ound in "Recue dos al p ime Villaespesa (1399-
l90l)": "Como lo ue on Tn illa y Rueda y lo es Ga cia Lo ca, Villaespesa ue siemp e un alhamb is a,"
in P osas comple as (76).
4 Ma a Palenque
con ibu ion o he en ichmen o poe ic language could, a he e y leas , be an objec
o in e es o s udy.
Going beyond hese con ines, I will also concen a e in his a icle on he
inno a i e ai s ha Zo illa's poe y emb aces wi h e e ence o successi e poe ic
g oups. Thus, I will e iew hese conside a ions in he ligh o he changeable o unes
o he poe 's epu a ion om Roman icism o he Gene a ion o 27. I do no wish o
be exhaus i e in his unde aking; I only p e end o elabo a e on an indispu able
connec ion: he link ha he cons i ues wi h he oman ic legacy in con empo a y
poe y. This inhe i ance o legacy is ecognized as decisi e in he genesis and
de elopmen o he poe y o he wen ie h cen u y by all w i e s and heo e icians.
The co ona ion o Jos6 Zo '.lla as a poe came la e, in 1889. In his e y
decade, ha o he 1880s, a new poe ic gene a ion o e y dis inc cha ac e lowe ed
in bo h Spanish and Ame ican le e s, a g oup o la e be called mode nis a. Zo i1lla
hus su i es his own pe iod, ha o oman icism, is p esen in he ealis pe iod - o
his displeasu e as he himsel decla ed - and emains ac i e in o he so-called in de
siglo (he died in 1893). Howe e , he e olu ion o Zo illa is minimal. Almos all o
his p oduc ion subsequen o his e u n om Mexico, in 1866, is a esponse o his
desi e, and need, o li e by he pen, ancl he con inues o be ancho ed o his ea lie
mo i s and cadences.2 E e since his ea ly wo ks, his e o s had been polemical. The
nega i e c i icism cen e ed on his excessi e he o ic, in ha his e ses had a mo e
edundan a he han exp essi e quali y, and in his appa en ly meaningless
g andiloquence. Taking his ega d, Campoamo e e s o his poe y as ha o
ex ension and Manuel de la Re illa simply and unequi ocally denounced him. The
concep o a Zo illa as "eas/," " he o ical," and "emp y" was o con inue as a opical
judgemen un il oday.
ln he w i ings o c i ics o he um o he cen u y his name almos always
appea s linked wi h hose o Campoamo , N ez de A ce and Esp onceda and - in
spi e o wha I indica ed abo e - wi h posi i e a i ma ions. Singled ou as one o he
g ea poe s o he cen u y, he g adually began o lose p es ige a he same ime ha he
igu e o B6cque , p e iously conside ed less posi i ely, was o gain in impo ance in
Spain as well as in Ame ica, and who was o end up elega ing a l o he s o he shel
o obli ion. This is he case wi h poe s such as Juli {n del Casal, Jos6 San os Chocano
o En ique G6mez Ca illo, who e en i hey a i s mani es ed an admi a ion o
Zonilla, soon ended o cas him aside (Fogelquis 143, 193). The same can be no ed
2 I ha e e e ed o his las s age o Zo illa's poe y in my "Zo illa y el iempo nue o (l c u a de la
poes(a de sus dl imos a os)."
7-o nlla and he new poe ic gene a ions
in he wn k o Rub6n Da io. Howe e , his es eem o Zo illa and he e iden
in luence o his eadings o Zo illa seen in he ea ly ex s o he Nica aguan poe , sel
hi n apa . Fo he mode nis as, B6cque is conside ed as he i e u able p eceden in
hei own poe y, al hough one may no e in hei wo k inno a i e aspec s om he
o he igu es men ioned. Zo nlla's in luence gi es way o he impe us o B6cque 's
in imacy. In he wo ds o Max Hen (quez U e a, e e ing o he Ame icans, "B6cque
habia sob epujado la in luencia que habia alcanzado Zo illa en la 6poca p eceden e"
(:26)" The same au ho 's commen a ies on his s yle a e equally nega i e; his
commen on Zo illa's a o alking much wi hou saying any hing is aken up by
au ho i a i e oices like ha o Gus a Siebenmann who used his exp ession as an
example o wha he called he "conduc a mds ges iculan e que e icazmen e exp esi a"
o he oman ic poe s (27). E en so, in spi e o he nega i e c i icism, Zo illa's impac
is unques ionable and can be aced - dis anced now iom he con ines o Roman ism
and Realism - o he e y bo de s o mode nism. Though i was o be la e
subs i u ed by F ench in luences o by new and o iginal pe cep ions, his uidos y
quime as o med a pa o ha e u n owa ds he idealism ha he mode nis s sough ,
an undoub able link wi h he wo ld o he oman ics. In Spain his link is a na u al one
gi en, ha no clea b eak e e eally ook place, o Roman icism i sel in Spain lacked
a uly e olu iona y cha ac e .
The i s Spanish node nis as (Rica do Gil, Manuel Reina and Sal ado
Rueda) mani es a logical kinship o he poe s who p eceded hem, bo h Roman ics as
well as Realis s. S ill close o he Realis s, in e ms o ou look, hey di e in hei
e usal o see a as ep esen a ion and in hei ejec ion o g andiloquen and o acula
language. Consequen upon his ejec ion, hey e u n o idealism and ly ic in imacy.
As he basis o i s exp ession, hey employ symbol and he concep o sugges ion as a
means o communica ion.i The senso ial alue conceded o he image allows hem o
ecupe a e he ch oma ic and music quali ies ha had been los o pu aside om he
empha ic he o ic o poe s like Zo illa, among o he Spanish and o eign w i e s. In
his sense, he h ee ounding mode is a.s coincide -- a leas wi h espec o Zo illa
- in hei need o make hei inhe i ance a ly ical one; ha is, hey abandon he
essen ially desc ip i e and epic poe y ha he oman ic ba d ep esen ed o c ea e a
mo e in ima e and ono meno poe y. The "mundo que hoy nos in e esa" said "Zeda"
(F. Fe n {ndez Villegas) in he appendix o La caja de m sica (1898) by Rica do Gil,
3 Fo he p ocess o heses changes and eac ions see my El poe a y el bu guis (Poesia y pilblico 1850-
900).
il5
ll6 Ma a Palenque
"es el mundo in e io " (227). O , in he wo ds o Sal ado Rueda - wha is necessa y
o he new poe y is a Zo illa "que aga ase la ealidad" (17); ha is, wha ge s o he
essence ( he ha mony) o he na u al magic and he pe sonal in imacy which is always
in communion wi h his same na u e.
F om among hese i s Spanish mode nis s, i is p ecisely Rueda who exhibi s
a s ong indeb edness o Zo nlla and who gi es genuine es imony o his admi a ion o
him. In his wo k El i mo he s esses a concep o poe y as a hymn o na u e in which
colou s and no es accumula e, a concep which he symbolis wing o mode nis mo was
o s ess. In his sense, Roman ics and Symbolis s a e linked in hei analogical ision
o he uni e se, a poin o which I shall e u n.
Fo Rueda,Zonilla is a "poe a na u al" among so many imi a i e poe s who
a e incapable o cap u ing he "himno de la na u aleza"; he speaks o Zo illa's
"a monias ine ables," o his "oido enciclop6dico" (Ri mo 13) (which was an "apa a o
de epe cusi6n sublime donde esonaban y se con e ian en colo es y m isicas odas las
del mundo"[l9]). He calls him "pad e de la o ma y maes o de la ima" (65).
Compa ed wi h Lecon e de Lisle and Th6ophile Gau ie , ep esen a i es, espec i ely
o poe y-sculp u e and o poe y-pain ing, Zo illa's wo k, in Rueda's opinion, was
iden i ied wi h poe y-music.a
Reina, as well as Rueda, dedica e composi ions o he poe in which hey
unde line simila ai s which migh se e as a summa y o his wo k. Sal ado Rueda
does so in an ex ended se ies o alexand ine e ses; Manuel Reina in a he oic omance
included in As os, a mo e ex ensi e ex in which he sings he p aises o his a o i e
poe s. Tha dedica ed o Zo illa begins:
Es su he mosa y b illan e poes a
del ba do la canci6n apasionada;
el Hlico umo de los omeos;
los g i os de las ompas de la caza;
los mu mullos de sil ides y ondinas
en sus palacios de lucien es aguas;
los hd oes del amo ; el neg o claus o;
o ien e con sus pe las y sul anas;
el echina del puen e le adizo;
las bellas pa i u as de la l alia,
y el mundo de los dulces uise o es,
o In he same essay in El Ri mo, om which he abo e quo es we e aken, he speaks u he o Zo illa.
See especially l3-20, 28-29,43,53 and he le e ha was di ec ed o Zo illa o which is o be ound in he
appendix, (85 0.
i;:: ;i:' :z,,;;;:::.'l ils au as
The e e ences used by Reina in he ex unde sco e he cha ac e is ics o
Zo illa's poe y. Adjec i es like he mosa, b illan e and apasionada ame Reina's
p ecu so by hei emo i e and senso ial cha ac e . In he o he e ses, domina ed by
he oic accen ua ion, a e he hemes and ai s o his own poe y using Zo illa's
ocabula y and his p e e ence o asynde on. Fo him, he music o a e se is no in
i s accen ua ion and me e, bu a he in he edundan use o he chosen wo ds. E en
mo e, colou and music appea in almos angible o m and, in his poe ic wo ld,
h ough pe soni ica ion, hey become embodied. Toge he wi h he ba dos, caballe os
de o neo and hd oes de amo , sil ides,, ondinas and sul anas o ienla/es (which
ep esen he a ious aspec s o he Zo illa's poe ic wo ld: he medie al- adi ional,
ha o he magical and he occul and he o ien al), he indi idualized sound image,
which dis inguish each one o he pa cels ha hey symbolize; he g i os, he umo ,
he mu mullos ... seem o ake on hei own li e. They a e like he e y "dulces
uise io es," an image so o en used o alude o he luency and na u alness o he
poe 's song. All oge he in o ches a ed o m, hey o e ha bella pa i u a which is
a na u al ha nony; he pa i u a o luz, osas, and au as o m a inal ch oma ic
g ada ion which is equally as ha monious.
In sho , Reina e lec s upon Zo illa as eache in his use o he whole ange
o sounds and musics ( he uidos), a mas e o his pa i u a. On he o he hand, ligh
and colou igu e in con as , always o e ing ansi ions in a li ing poe ic wo ld, one
ha Reina knows how o ec ea e by his naming o he lucien es aguas and he neg os
claus os. I is a poe y, hen, in which a mosphe e and en i onmen and whe e
ma ellous o eal beings, always idealized, a e bo n o an in ui ion o he isiona y
sehse o he ba d. He eels himsel annoin ed, he c ea es a spi i ual poe y, one
anscenden and e ined, e en hough Reina may, in he end, emphasize a decaden
no e in selec ing wha he akes om Zo illa.
The mos no able no el ies which a e de i ed om Zo illa's poe y a e he
c ea ion o a pa icula wo ld, a lexicog aphy, and conc e e o ms and subjec s which
a e wo hy o u he conside a ion. As a as me ic and hy hmic inno a ions a e
conce ned, all o he monog aphic essays and manuals on he pe iod coincide in
ecognizing his quali y as an inno a i e o e unne . I Roman icism, in i s de ence o
5 The poem by Sal ado Rueda can be ound in Canciones y poemas. An ologia conco dada de su ob a
pod ica (23-25).
Tn nlla and he new poe ic gene a ions 7
118 Ma a Palenque
inspi a ion and o c ea i e libe y, may be conside ed as cons i u ing a b eak wi h
inhe i ed adi ional me ical moulds (al eady na ow and igidly accen ed by he
imposi ion o he poe ical no ns Neoclassicicis s) and as ha ing ins iga ed libe y o
o m, he audacious inno a ions and combina ions o Zo ',lla con ibu ed decisi ely in
his p ocess. His b eak wi h adi ion cons i u es an ob ious miles one in he
de elopmen o con empo a y ly icism.
In pu sui o he equa ion o a wi h na u e championed by he Roman ics
("The poe mus only ake he ad ice o Na u e, T u h and inspi a ion" w o e Vic o
Hugo [63]), Zo illa - who was blessed wi h an keen ea and g ea a isi c acili y -
knew how ully o accomoda e me ics and con en . O pu ano he way, he employed
di e se echniques o enhance his poe ic wo ld, in using i wi h musicali y and colou .
Roman ic passion inds he ideal pa h o b ea he senso ial alue in o poems by he use
o in ense accen ua ion in he mixing o a a ie y o hy hms and me e. Rueda
as u ely no ed ha "el i mo es segu amen e idea," and he once again alluded o
Zo .lla:
No se ijan en que un i mo cualquie a, si se sabe o( , es una
ideai una idea que hay que des aca po medio de una palab a,
:;#il::i; #il: i::;i i '#".T,#'"l;;;*:i
e as, nos ansmi a pe ec a y hondamen e su idea. (El i mo
53)
Zomlla saw his in he same way, since he e e s o "m sica con o mas" and, besides,
he was also awa e o he jus how e ec i e his o mula was (La noche y la inspi aci6n
19).u No alis had al eady es ablished he impo ance o he emo i e and musical
ela ions be ween wo ds, abo e and beyond hei meaning, and - la e - Ve laine
aludes o he "la musique des id6es" "la musique du e be". Close o he Spanish
model, he Ame ican mode nis s polished hei e ses and a i ed a he same
symbiosis, as in he case o Da io. Ha mony and euphony became he p io i y, mo e
impo an e en han he meanings o he wo ds ha we e used. The e se should
sound good abo e all, and on he plane o audial and men al ecep ion, sugges ion akes
on an impo an ole.
Mo e conc e ely, he polyme ic s anzas o Zo illa cons i u ed a b eak wi h
he con en ional no n and le a deep imp in in he poe y ha was o ollow. They
showed he possibli y o making he poem a musical whole. The o m ha wi hou a
6 All quo es om Zo illa's, unless o he wise indica ed, come om Tomo I o his Ob as Comple as
published by Manuel P. Delgado, he 1905. Re e ences a e indica ed in he ex only by he poem's i le and
he co esponding page numbe .
doub cons i u es he bes example o his phenomenon _- hough also he mos o en
epea ed in his wo k - is he "o de ed" polyme ic o m o his me ic scale. Such is
he case wi h he agmen "La ca e a," which is included in La leyenda de Al-Hama
(In oduc ion o G anada). Mo ed by he desi e o ind ha pe ec music, and doing
away wi h all ypes o con en ions, he, along wi h o he s, expe imen s wi h ejec ing
me e al oge he in e ses o he G anada and in La lo de los ecue dos. Cadence,
o hyme is ea ed likewise. In his p oposal o accen ua e he union be ween sound
and meaning, o example, by he wo ds ha allude o sound o o i s pe cep ion,
hyme, he he eby c ea es g ada ions o an i hesis (canciones/ sones, a monia/ g i e ia,
sono o/ co o, e c.). Wi h espec o he inna en ion o hyme, i is cu ious o obse e
how he he oic omance, used by Manuel Reina in he ci ed ex abo e, and which is -
- as Aguila Pie al has shown - he s epping-s one o he ee hendecasyllable in ,"
which hyme is comple ely ejec ed, was also used by Zo illa in G anada (13). I
He also collabo a ed in he ecupe a ion o me es ha we e la e o be used
in he new poe y; among hese a e he alexand ine, he ochaic hep asyllablic o m as
well as he dodecasyllabic, which, wi h he hy hm o he seguidilla (7 + 5), would be
passed on o Sal ado Rueda, Rub6n Da (o, and o he s. Ha ing ouched on he
ques ions o me e I u n o he unde lying concep ual o ganisa ion.
All o hese expe imen s and eno a ions espond o he p ima y p oposal o
Zo illa's poe y: he sea ch o and he b ea hing o li e in o ha mony ("iBello es
i i ; la ida es a monia!" he exclaims in Indecisi6n, l57l). This will, subsequen ly,
be seen in he mode nis a.s and la e de elopmen s. All o his ouches on a pa icula ly
oman ic and consequen ly idealis c ea i e concep o a in ha he poe is a seen as
special being, ouched by he di ine who sings a he insis ence o inspi a ion:
gg1@, dijo una oz, al es u sue e....
... y me ech6 a la ie a y a la ida,
y al impulso de su hdli o di ino,
con cdn iga isue a o dolo ida
la soledad ali io del camino:
y cumplo as la ley de mi des ino. (19)
His song is, hen, an obliga ion and a na u al eac ion ha se s him apa and d i es
him o eel isola ed, as is he case - la e - o hose who allude o he poe o he
i o y owe . Like hem he is a cu sed being:
Un angel que pec6 en el i mamen o,
y el Se o en su c6le a le en ia
pa a a os a sob e la ie a imp(a
Zn illa and he new poe ic gene a ions 119

20 Ma a Palenque
lX i #;: :;':Y# ,Yyu i o so a3)
Domina ed by his spi i , he poe , in in ima e con ac wi h na u e, knows he
hy hm, he music o objec s, and his obliga ion - as Zo illa saw i - is o e eal
na u e's hymn o man:
... el o be an e mis ojos
i:' il'[:il::H;"
y excelsa c eaci6n '
,":il:" '::n"s:::'
T:':;I#;:
ha uni e sal ha mony o which Bdcque would also la e e e .
Fo Zo illa, poe y, abo e all, is music, and om his is de i ed his
p edilec ion o he me apho o he uise io and o he ino. His song obeys a
sublime inspi acihn ha allows him o cap u e and o pene a e wo lds o mys e y and
ha mony: undamen al concep s o Zo illa's poe y, bu also o all mode n poe y,
concep s which unde line and empowe his e ealing and disco e ing p opensi y, as
well he magical elemen o he ly ical. The analogical ision o he uni e se,
in ima ely connec ed wi h he cabbalis ic, he demoniacal, e c., links up wi h his
scheme o hings. The analogic iew comp ehends he uni e se as a as language o
hy hms and co espondences; he poem comes o be a mic ocosm, a eading o he
uni e sal hy hmic language. This concep o he uni e se, as Oc a io Paz explains,
is ebo n a e Roman icism and ends up gi ing shape o he essence o all
con empo a y poe y. Zo nlla mus be seen in his con ex and o his may be
a ibu ed he musical po en ial o his e se. Paz no es, o example, ha he e is a
co espondence be ween accen ual e si ica ion and analogical ision (89 and
subsequen pages).7
Consequen ly, his poems cons i u e o p oduce hemsel es as imi aciones, a
wo d ha is epea ed again and again, like an echo o he consonances and onali ies
o he hymn: No hay can o, ni suspi o,
amen o $i mu mullo, J
cuyo eco mis e ioso
Zn illa and he new poe ic gene a ions
ingi no sepa yo,
L m,isica comp endo
que en las olubles hojas
csuena a p esencia
i:::H*' iu, ",",
los cdn icos dis in os...
En iendo el ago e o
i:: l"i'il,l"I;
que huele su es n;
del soli a io b iho
la eme osa queja,
y el amo oso ino
: -#::lque ue,a
la e an e ma iposa
-os mdgicos umo es
l;".:H l";;:: '
del bosque o el ja d n... (ln oducci6n 2O-21)
The p eponde ance o he musical links Zo illa wi h symbolism and makes him, as
such, an an eceden o B6cque and o he poe ic g oups ha ollow. In his desi e o
imila e and ep oduce music, el uido, he achie es ex ao dina y e ec s h ough he
exploi a ion o phonos ylis ic echniques and, like Rimbaud, disco e s he colou o he
wo ds. Thanks o he phonic symbolism and o he selec ion o he chosen lexical
sys em, he builds his own pa icula poe ic wo ld, he idealized na u e o which he
himsel - poe a/ pdja o - o ms a pa , and which he quie ly s eals up on o exp ess
he i acional, he ch oma ic and musical mys e y o he objec s, he magic o wha is
imbued, he wo ld o he chime a, o he inco po eal... we a e on he h eshold o
mode nismo: Spanish Symbolism.
Ce ain hou s o he day o condi ions o he spi i a e ideal his mis e io
which his poe y ies o mould, and by using symbols and images o he senses, he
makes ha mis e io mo e pe cep ible and mo e incandescen . The nigh , he hal -sleep
o lying nea ly awake ( hose "ho as sin ho a / en que nues as ho as cesan...," La noche
inquie a. Fan asia ll29D and ha special s a e o O e ie a e some o he momen s ha
a ou inspi a ion because he senses a e dis u bed: "El oido oye mu n ull!, lel ol a o Ja
aspi a olo es, / los ojos c ean colo es / en deli io an pue il (La noche y la inspi aci6n
l l9l). They a e he momen s in which a housand "deli ios," "bul os," " an asmas"
and "se es a6 eos" a e pe cei ed. These e eal a hidden mys e y which he poe
a emp s o pene a e and comp ehend. I is when eali y becomes a i ied ( he same
z
7 Also see Ca hy L. J ade (ll4-122).
22 Ma a Palenque
"somb a mu nu a") and when he consciousness o whe he one is li ing o d eaming
is los :
;Oh de la noche incomp ensibles uidos!
Ayes que he is en la iniebla oscu a...
iQuidn sois? ;D6 ais? iDe d6nde sois enidos?
;Qu6 oz ajena en ues a oz mu mu a?
(Visilia 2211.
And oge he wi h he nigh , d eaming o lying awake, soli ude is e oked in
such a way in Zo illa's e se ha he eade is anspo ed o he mys ical symbolism
o San Juan de la C uz in his soledad sono ai and p o ides a b idge owa d he ea ly
e ses o Juan Ram6n Jim6nez. ln Zo nlla:
La soledad y el silencio
exhalan aga a monia
que el o do no oi ia,
y a en a el alma escuch6.
Una m lsica con o mas
que al esbala en la men e
nos deja ldnguidamen e
la idea de que pas6
(La noche y la inspi acidn ll9).
The soledad sono a ha only he poe can come o pe cei e, as wi h Juan
Ram6n's "pdja o e Tan e y li ico" (65), becomes an in e locu o wi h na u e. lim€nez
akes one s ep o wa d om Zo illa's pe soni ica ion ("Po qud mu mu as a oyo? /
y , lau a, po qu6 can as? / qu6 bocas due men en la / somb a del ai e y del agua?,"
when he e okes, h ough symbols and h ough he paysage d'dme, a hidden p esence
0sl).
In Zo illa's poems he noises ( uidos) join wi h he chime as, in he mos
a ied con o na ions; exac ly, as I ha e shown abo e, as wi h he key poe s o
mode nismo. As Ge a do Diego poin s ou : "De la palab a o mi o g iego no queda
apenas nada. La quime a y lo quim6 ico ya es algo dis in o, aco de con la sensibilidad
mo bosa del nue o siglo" (40). In Zo illa, as he e ses quo ed ha e shown, beings
ha speak o he i a ional and o he ma ellous o magical belong o he wo ld o
imagina ion and an asy. Hence Imp esiones de la noche:
Hay pensamien os que en la noche i en
en un inc6n de la memo ia echados,
Zo illa and he new poe ic gene a ions 23
;:l3J iT:H:::,X i'"T;
Due men al pa ece ; mas como aqudllos
al soplo de una b isa se le an an,
c ecen, uelan, y al in oman, cual ellos,
o mas med osas que la is a espan an.
Hijas del miedo, y de la e con a ias,
agas isiones de la noche umb a,
bulii las emos en la niebla ia,
nada en la esencia, y en la o ma a ias.
Quime as que hallan siemp e en la memo ia
silenciosa mansi6n, g acias pos izas,
L' i :T:H-' #::H ;,nl'illl^,,0,,
One o he las o he au ho 's ex s, Los gnomos de la Alhamb a ( aken as a
con inua ion o he incomple e G anada, and included in he olume Gnomos y muje es
o 1886) is he bes example o his wo ld o he chime ical, while a he same ime
his wo ld is iden i ied wi h magic, he occul , and he caballa, hemes which he
mode nis s will elabo a e u he . Zo illa is s ill, howe e , he poe who e lec s on
wha he in ui i ely eels; in his moulding o mys e y, all oo o en, he o ical ges u es
and emphases a e gi en oo much ele ance. He is mo e desc ip i e ha ly ic. All o
hese a i udes will be ejec ed by he young poe s in hei in ima e and ly ic ea men s
o hese he nes.
Zo illa a gues he caballis 's opinion ("Dicen los cabalis as, y se a e a / en
c ee lo al ez gen e muy g a e, / que hay millones de se es bajo ie a / que
elemen ales de ella son...") in o de o deny i , bu w i es in de ence o mys e y and o
he unde inable (Gnomos y muje es 34).8 In he agmen en i led "La onda de los
gnomos," in which beau i ul examples o Zo illa's accumula i e s yle can be seen,
once midnigh a i es ("la ho a cabal(s ica") he ai y kings and he genies o he ai ,
Ti ania and Obe on, conju e up he s ange beings who begin he magic dance. These
beings a e sylphs. hou is, wa e sp i es, salamande s, si ens, p o e esses, py hias, el es,
b uc6locos, d uidesses, es egas, ampi es, lamias, lemu s, sphinxes, es iglos, goblins,
ma inillos, spi i s, hobgoblins, 'ai ies, end iagos, and skele ons. The poe 's knowledge
and amilia i y wi h his "mul i ud quim6 ica" comes om caballis ic and
demonological ea ises which he alludes o in he ex 's accompanying no es. This will
explain he pa icula pe sonali y o each one o he beings. I is a magical wo ld (a
In he no es o he poem Zo illa w i es: "De si me acon eci6 en sue o o en igilia no me he podido
oda ia da cuen a exac a. I-,os poe as gozamos de una doble ida en una egi6n ideal, cuyas pue as es a dn
siemp e ce adas pa a los no iniciados en los mis e ios de Ia e, del espi i ismo y de la poesia" (Gnomos y
muje es 103).
lp
24 Ma a Palenque
e m ha Zo nlla,like he mode nis as who will employ i la e , used equen ly) which
he con empo a y poe s will also in oke, in e es ed as hey we e in he occul .
In he c ea ion o his poe ic wo ld, as no ed abo e, he poe concedes a
senso ial alue o he wo ds which speak o music, colou , and sensuali y.... I is in
his O ien ales ha Zo nlla achie es his highes achie emen s in he c ea ion o his
idealized wo ld. In he ec ea ion o he A ab wo{d and in he e oking o G anada, he
elies on ly icism and he e inemen o he e se. Some o he poe 's bes e ses a e
ound among his ex s wi h an O ien al heme, o example hose ha begin wi h he
lines "Co iendo an po la ega", "De la luna los e lejos", "Escucha he mosa
c is iana". These e ses con ain beau i ul and consumma e desc ip ions which
exempli y he cha ac e o his senso ial poe ic wo ld. One such example is he wo ld
o he palaces o he cap ain o he gomeles (in "Co iendo an po la ega") o o ha
o King Hazem (in he omance La so p esa de Zaha a):
lL Tengo un palacio en G anada,
.|engo ja dines y lo es,
engo una uen e do ada
con mds de cien su ido es
ni en C6 doba ni en Se illa
hay un pa que como el m o.
Alli la al i a palme a
y el encendido g anado,
jun o a la ondosa higue a
cub en el alle y collado.
All el obus o nogal,
alli el n6palo ama illo,
alli el somb io mo al
c ecen al pie del cas illo.
Y olmos engo en mi alameda
que has a el cielo se le an an,
y en edes de pla a y seda
engo pdja os que can an.
(Co iendo an po la ega 47)
Mina y esencias de lo es
a den en pebe es de o o,
y el sol de los mi ado es
anubla el humo de olo es
que a a o espi a el mo o.
El ai e colman de uido
dos uen es aza anadas;
y en su mu mullo pe dido,
se oye el ina dolo ido
Zo illa and he new poe ic gene a ions 125
de las a es enjauladas.
(La so p esa de'Zaha a 2@)
And, oo, he beau y o i s women:
1Oh, qud bella naza ena
pa a un ha 6n o ien al,
suel a la neg a melena
sob e el cuello de c is al,
en lecho de e ciopelo,
en e una nube de a oma,
y en uel a en el blanco elo
de las hijas de Mahoma!
(Due ia de la neg a oca 31)
Zo nllaalso mixes equally bo h o ien al and classic elemen s in he mode nis a
s yle:
Yo e da d e ciopelo
y pe umes o ien ales,
de G ecia e ae 6 elos,
y de Cachemi a chales.
(Co iendo an po la ega 47)
The same is ue in his poem Al himo ey mo o de G anada, Boadil (sic) el Chico,
in which hese elemen s a e joined oge he : "como en o o Pa aiso, / los pomposos
lau eles de Eu o as / y los h imedos ilos del Pamiso;" and, la e ,
El jaspe, el o o, el md mol, los c is ales,
se os en an en su espl6ndido ecin o,
y ansia dn sus ecue dos o ien ales
los escomb os de A enas y Co in o. (l5l)
In he longe poems like G anada and Los gnomos de la Alhamb a he wo lds
o he o ien al and o he occul o magical a e used; idealiza ion and e inemen g ow:
"G anada, cuyo cielo sos iene el pa a(so / sob e a cos de za i os y b6 edas de luz,"
"p eciosa pe la o lada de ica ped e (a". G anada's plain is "un chal mo isco bo dado
de colo es," i s "d abes palacios lab ados con encaj€S"..., and hei inhabi an s a e:
"Hu (es, de los dngeles / quim6 icas he manas, / di inas co esanas / de amo es
manan ial," "canden es salamand as / m {s ojas que el co al," "las Hadas / sob e sus
g i os blancos / encabalgadas" ... The lexicon and he associa ions used by Zo illa in
Los gnomos de la Alhamb a b ing him close o mode nismo.
The con ibu ion o Zo illa's e ses o he en ichmen o poe ic language is
decisi e. F om among he chime as and o ien al beau y eme ge palaces, qasidas, ich
1,26 Ma a Palenque
apes ies, saphi e canopies, c ys alline lymphs, wild lilies, pu ple ,il iJ,n.
zephy s, he au as, and he mis s which a e o en deemed o be he exclusi e p o ince
o poe s wi h Becque ian endencies. Ye , he echoes, nu nu s... o W 6 (plu al
lelilies) (an A abic e m) b ing us back o he "ma e ial" alue (plas ic o senso ial) ha
language has o Zo illa. Mode nismo and all mode n poe y is ounded on he
polysemous na u e o language.
In spi e o he in luences o Vic o Hugo, he ashionabili y o o ien ales and
A ab Spain, acco ding o expe s on he subjec , is ac ually a esul o Zo illa's wo k.e
His magic and chi al ous ision o A abic G anada and he opics ha he concei ed
o desc ibe i a e passed on o he new li e a u e o he 1890s. In he same way, he
ly ical se ena as o a ied me e and o amo ous cha ac e , o he leyendas y omances
which (so ne o which also ha e an o ien al heme), inZo illa-like s yle, a e cul i a ed
in he second hal o he nine een h cen u y, can also be aced back o he wo k o he
mode nis as. Wi h espec o he legencis, Aguila Pi lal obse es ha , "A la saz6n e a
Zo nlla el a e popula ; sus leyendas e an ap endidas de memo ia po ni os y po
iejos. De 6cnica dcil no podia ning n jo en poe a de en onces sus ae se a la
en aci6n de compone Ja leyenda". 0 F om hem will come he p edilec ion o he
mys e ious plo , he suqp ise ending, he idealiza ion o he adi ional chi al ic wo ld,
he cou eous beha iou o he cha ac e s and musical ch oma ic s yles, all o which
essen ial in his ec ea ion o he exo ic Roman ic ision. In he dedica ion o his
-Je
Jo e Bo h Soledad Ca asco Udi i in El mo o e* G anada en la li e a u a [del sig o XV al ){X] and
An onio Gallego Mo ell in Diez ensayos sob e li e alu a espa iola, al'gue ha he opics o A abic G anada
inhe i ed by he mode nis as come om Zo illa's wo k. Names such as hose o Edua do Ma quina o
F ancisco Villaespesa come up in his connec ion. Wi h espec o ne la e , we also should no e ha some
o mode nismo's di usion, along wi h Zo illa's in luence, should be a ibu ed o Eu opean symbolism. See
Richa d A. Ca dwell's "El ja din inisecula : T es uen es de Villaespesa." (23-24 and26-32).
As a as he in luence o Vic o Hugo is concemed, a subjec no aised he e, i is one o he mos
discussed and ema ked upon ques ions by he c i ics o hese au ho s. All coincide in how hey de elop
hy hmic and hema ic elemen s. In he case o he o ien ales, in he way he F ench poe uses hem one may
also no e he symbiosis be ween he o ien al side and he magical elemen . Hugo w o e in his poem G anada
(included in Les O ien ales): "La Alhamb a es un alcdza que los genios c ea on ma a illosamen e como
un sue o y la llena on de a monias; o aleza con almenas es onadas y acilan es, en la que de noche se
oyen mdgicas palab as, cuando la luna, al a ds de las mil a cadas 6 abes, siemb a los mu os de dboles
blancos" (I quo e om he p ose e sion o Jacin o Labaila, in he i h olume o he Ob as Comple as o
Hugo. [ 134]). O he conc e e in luences ela ed o Hugo ha e also been inco po a ed, as o ins ance in he
ex De la luna en los e lejos, which e lec s hese in luences in i s one and me e (a combina ion o eigh
and en syllable e ses). See A. Pa ke and E. A. Pee s: ''The-in luence o Vic o ": o ?n W 9 a" na." ,
0 Aguila Pi al men ions conc e e examples in he case o Reina, (64 and l8). i
Zon lla and he new poe ic gene a ions 27
o ien al legend, A/i Rub6n Da io men ions he syle "mi ad pe las, mi ad mieles y
lo es, de las leyendas del maes o Zo illa." In his wo k, as in La cobeza del Rawi,
one may no e opoi ha come om Zo illa: he "eco blando y sono o," he "guzla de
o o," he "sono o ins umen o," he " ien o mu mu ado " (Da io, Poesias comple as
424). These e ses, om he i s lines o Ai , and he e y ho se ace ha is desc ibed
in he ollowing s anzas, ecall La leyenda de Al-Hama . l
F om he adi ionally-based omance and legend new ies can be disco e ed
ha lead owa d An onio Machado's La ie a de Al o Gonzdlez o o he omances
o Fede ico Ga cia Lo ca. Lo ca who, like Machado, decla ed on epea ed occasions
his admi a ion o Zo nlla, p oposed o combine he na a i e and ly ic aspec s o he
omance, de eloping he na a i e aspec o Zo illa's poe ic leye ula. z E en Juan
Ram6n Jim6nez - li le a ac ed o he pompous s yle o Zo nlla - hough he did
ecognize his "des ellos elices '- singies him ou as a link be ween nine een h-cen u y
poe y and An onio Machado in his use o "lo popula di ec o" and in his
" e alo izaci6n del omance." 3 Wi h ega d o he esu gence o he omance, i is
also equally neeessa y o men ion he na ne o he Duque de Ri as.
Finally, Zo illa's wo k also o e s sugges i e examples o he idealiza ion o
he medie al wo ld o he cou ie and knigh , ound la e in Da io, Villaespesa and
Manuel Machado. Conside , o example, he omance El paso de a mas de Bel dn
de la Cue a, which begins:
lEspl6ndida cabalga a!
lCaballe esco opel!
La Reina iene mon ada,
y el Rey, la b ida do ada
asiendo de su co cel. {287
***
Two u he hemes -- oge he wi h he abo e - a e also ele an o
Zo illa's modemi y. T'he i s is he heme o he o gy, used by he oman ics as a
oken o hei sense o ma ginali y and amo ali y, a heme which eappea s la e in he
ex s o au ho s o a bohemian o decaden endency and e en in Nin eas (1900) o
Jim6nez. The classical deb in Zo illa ( he golia ds, o example) is clea in La o gia
" And es R. Quin idn, in Cul u a y li e a u a espa iolas en Rub€n Da io, e e s o he ela ionship
be ween Da (o and Zo nlla. He also analyzes he poem "Al " (68 and subsequen pages).
12 In his ega d, see he quo es ci ed by J.M. Agui e: "Zo illa y Ga c(a Lo ca: Leyendas y Romances
gi anos," whe e he analyzes o he poin s o con ac be ween bo h au ho s (75-92).
3 See "El omance, o de la lengua espaiola," in P oscs complelas (258-259).