spanish at poems

"Amor empieza por desasosiego" de Sor Juan Inés de la Cruz  (México, s. XVII)

She reflects on how desire overwhelms reason, suggesting that love’s beauty is inseparable from the suffering it causes. The tone alternates between fascination and rational critique, revealing the poet’s intellect battling emotional vulnerability.

"Yo no puedo tenerte ni dejarte" de Sor Juan Inés de la Cruz (México, s. XVII)

The speaker expresses being imprisoned by impossible love: she cannot possess the beloved, yet neither can she let go. Sor Juana captures the anguish of human attachment, suggesting that love becomes its own kind of punishment when trapped between longing and restraint.

"Hombres necios que acusáis" de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (México, s. XVII)

this poem accuses men of unfairly condemning women for behavior men themselves provoke. Sor Juana defends women’s intellectual and moral integrity, exposing the double standard that defines social gender relations.

"Moría el sol, y las marchitas hojas" de Rosalía de Castro (España, s. XIX)

, revealing nature as an emotional landscape for human solitude. The imagery of decay and silence reflects the inevitable decline of joy and vitality. as the natural world fades, so too does hope in the human heart.

"Te amo...¿por qué me odias" de Rosalía de Castro (España, s. XIX)

The speaker confronts the pain of loving someone who responds with cruelty or indifference. Castro captures the deep vulnerability of affection and the confusion that comes when love becomes one-sided.

“Ya no mana la fuente, se agotó el manantial” de Rosalía de castro (España, s. XIX) 

The dried spring represents the loss of inspiration, love, and life’s sustaining energy. Nature’s silence parallels the exhaustion of spirit, revealing the Romantic theme of unity between inner and outer decay.

"Yo persigo una forma" de Rubén Darío (Nicaragua, s. XIX)

A reflection on artistic struggle, where the poet searches endlessly for perfect beauty that always escapes him. Darío presents art as an unattainable ideal—the “form” that would capture truth and harmony.

"A Roosevelt" de Rubén Darío (Nicaragua, s. XIX)

Addressed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, this poem denounces North American imperialism and defends the cultural and spiritual richness of Latin America. Darío contrasts Roosevelt’s power and aggression with the Latin world’s faith, history, and poetry.

"Lo fatal" de Rubén Darío (Nicaragua, s. XIX) 

A somber meditation on existence, death, and humanity’s cursed awareness of its own mortality. Darío’s tone is philosophical and melancholic, expressing Modernist pessimism and the fear of meaninglessness in a world without certainty.

"Hombre pequeñito" de Alfonsina Storni (Argentina, s. XX)

The poet speaks directly to a man who tries to dominate and constrain her, calling him “little man.” The cage imagery symbolizes patriarchal oppression. Storni exposes the insecurity behind male control and demands freedom from emotional imprisonment, representing a sharp feminist voice challenging traditional gender power.

  "Tú me quieres blanca" de Alfonsina Storni (Argentina, s. XX)

The poem attacks the hypocrisy of men who expect purity and chastity from women while living indulgently themselves. The “white” color symbolizes male-imposed moral purity

"Voy a dormir" de Alfonsina Storni (Argentina, s. XX) 

A deeply personal farewell poem written before Storni’s death. The speaker addresses both her nurse and Mother Earth, requesting rest after a life of emotional pain.

"Vida-garfio" de Juana de Ibarbourou (Uruguay, s. XX)

The poem celebrates survival and the instinct to persist despite suffering. Ibarbourou personifies life as wild, vigorous energy that refuses to give up, expressing her hallmark vitality and joyful rebellion against despair.

"La higuera" de Juana de Ibarbourou (Uruguay, s. XX)

The speaker admires a humble, unattractive fig tree and chooses to praise its hidden beauty. . The poem becomes a metaphor for , seeing worth beyond appearances.

"La luna" de Juana de Ibarbourou (Uruguay, s. XX) 

The moon is personified as a maternal, protective being that illuminates the earth with gentle power. The poem reflects harmony between humanity and the cosmos—a central theme in her work celebrating womanhood and nature.

La guitarra" de Federico García Lorca (España, s. XX)

The repeated “weeping” sound of the guitar becomes a symbol of universal sorrow. Lorca fuses music and emotion, turning the instrument into a voice for collective pain,

"Romance de la luna" de Federico García Lorca (España, s. XX)

A child encounters the moon, personified as a beautiful but dangerous woman. The moon dances and lures the child to death, blending eroticism, innocence, and fatality.

"La aurora" de Federico García Lorca (España, s. XX) 

A vision of dawn in industrial New York. Instead of hope, the rising sun exposes suffering, alienation, and dehumanization. The city becomes a mechanical wasteland,

"Walking around" de Pablo Neruda (Chile, s. XX)

The speaker wanders through a city filled with decay and absurdity, feeling disgusted by consumerism and human emptiness.

"Oda a la alcachofa" de Pablo Neruda (Chile, s. XX)

A humorous, affectionate ode that turns the humble artichoke into a heroic figure dressed like a soldier. Neruda transforms an everyday vegetable into a symbol of dignity, strength, and hidden beauty.

"Me gustas cuando callas" de Pablo Neruda (Chile, s. XX)        

The speaker admires the beloved’s silence, finding peace and intimacy in her quiet presence. Silence here symbolizes spiritual connection rather than distance.

"Elegía a Emmett Till" de Nicolás Guillén (Cuba, s. XX)

Mourns the lynching of a young Black boy in Mississippi, transforming his death into a universal cry against racial injustice.

"Balada de los dos abuelos" de Nicolás Guillén (Cuba, s. XX) 

The poet unites his two ancestries—one African, one Spanish—through the figures of his grandfathers. Their contrasting experiences (suffering vs. privilege)

"La muralla" de Nicolás Guillén (Cuba, s. XX)   

a symbolic wall is built by the joined hands of both Black and white people to protect against negativity while welcoming positive things. The poem emphasizes unity and the collective power of all races to build a just and peaceful world.