North Carolina Blues - Lecture Notes

Overview of the Poem "North Carolina" by Javier Villaurrutia

Structure of the Poem

• Composed of three main pages (or sections), with each page presenting different imagery and themes.

• Each section contains multiple lines that contribute to the overall message of the poem.

• Questions for comprehension at the end of the transcript enhance understanding of the poem's elements.

Page 1: Initial Imagery and Themes

• Opening Lines:

  • "El aire nocturno es de piel humana."

  • Suggests a sensory experience that highlights the physicality of the environment in North Carolina.

• Personal Experience:

  • Imagery of "acaricio" and "sudor de una gota de agua" indicates intimacy between the speaker and the environment, conveying a deep connection to place.

• Metaphor of Man and Nature:

  • "El hombre es árbol otra vez" (The man is a tree again) implies a return to nature or an organic state of being, suggesting themes of identity and existence.

• Cultural and Racial Reflection:

  • Describes the laughter and silence of black individuals contrasting with the environment:

  • "Si el negro ríe, enseña granadas encías y frutas nevadas." (If the black man laughs, he shows pomegranate gums and snowy fruits.)

  • Conversely, silence is depicted as a deep, red cavity:

  • "Mas si el negro calla, su boca es una roja entraña." (But if the black man is silent, his mouth is a red entrail.)

• Questioning Racial Perception:

  • The line "Cómo decir que la cara de un negro se ensombrece?" shows the observer's struggle in articulating racial nuances and perceptions.

  • Genuine insight from a black voice: "Nadie me entendería si dijera que hay sombras blancas." (No one would understand me if I said there are white shadows.)

Page 2: Death, Waiting, and Existence

• Theme of Death:

  • Life and death are woven into the experience:

  • "En diversas salas de espera aguardan la misma muerte…" (In different waiting rooms, the same death awaits…)

  • Confirms racial dynamics:

  • "Los pasajeros de color y los blancos de primera." (The colored passengers and the first-class whites.)

• Imagery of Isolation:

  • Description of nocturnal hotels adds a layer of eerie loneliness:

  • "Llegan parejas invisibles…" (Invisible couples arrive…) suggests a ghostly presence, a lack of substance.

  • Surreal Elements:

  • "Las escaleras suben solas… cierran los ojos las ventanas." (The stairs go up by themselves… the windows close their eyes.) Creates a haunting atmosphere, reinforcing themes of absence and mortality.

• Identity Blurring:

  • "Una mano sin cuerpo escribe y borra negros nombres…" (A hand without a body writes and erases black names…) symbolizes loss of identity, erasure, and the concept of anonymity.

• Confusion of Self:

  • The confrontation of the speaker's identity and the struggle to claim it in a racialized context:

  • "Yo no me atrevería a decir en la sombra: Esta boca es la mía." (I would not dare to say in the shadow: This mouth is mine.)

Themes and Concepts

• Racial Identity: The poem delves into the complexities of racial identity, especially regarding African Americans in the Southern United States.

• Death and Remembrance: The focus on death in public spaces speaks to systemic issues of race and mortality.

• Existence and Connection: The relationship between man, nature, and cultural identity represents a profound existential exploration.

• Isolation and Anonymity: An exploration of how societal structures can render identities invisible.

• Surreal Imagery: The dreamlike quality creates a haunting meditation on race, identity, and the human condition.