"That happened to the life, a relationship between two poets Mario Benedetti and Alfonso Hernández Salvadoran poets who will always live
For Alfonso Velis Tobar
Carleton University, MA
Ottawa, Canada.
I remember the first book of poetry, I read an enormous tenacity and passion of Uruguayan poet Mario Benedetty (1920-2009) was Poems Office "if memory does not betray me of my youth (as if it were not already), I remember selfless, as she always did with me, giving me a wonderful read poets, novelists and ideologues of the revolution, not only politically educate, but to enrich my language, the imagination of my creative abilities in poetry, the patron of mine who gave me those years to meet dozens of poets, including Benedetti, was nothing less than revolutionary poet Alfonso Hernández (1948-1988) , killed in battle against the military dictatorship in an armed confrontation in Guazapa in November 1988.
The poet Alfonso Hernandez, back in the 70s, so the chances of the deal of poetry, had made me a big brotherhood. So I could realize his revolutionary activities, risking their lives to go underground with other peers, as Carlos Alberto Menjivar, the leader of a revolutionary in those moments. not forget that the 70s, is a key decade of revolutionary development. Alfonso himself has in its literary narratives, activities revolutionary at the time. And he also walks in forming unions of workers and peasants, the foundation of the revolutionary organization, as we know, this burst in the 80s.
count this is beside the point though, why I associate image of the poet Mario Benedetti the image of the poet Alfonso Hernández , because today I intend to talk about the death of the poet Benedetti, it was precisely thanks to Alfonso, who introduced me to her poetry first time. Both poets with their humanity and sensitivity, I did see through the reading, the moments of revolutionary political tension and violence that existed for the decade in my country many years of military repression, its security forces are looking for subversive or communist . Also by the time I met Benedetti, associate to Menjivar, because as I learned later that as a great reader of literature that was, was he himself who gave the book to Alfonso Benedetti and occasionally join with me the spent for reading, hence the association between the miracles of poetry itself, as historical figures who cross my creative spirit.
also not forget that the poet Benedetti was branded by the Uruguayan military dictatorship, a communist poet and persecuted by the dictator Juan Maria Bordaberry to the years of 1972, however Benedetti was repeatedly exiled to safeguard his life. The poet himself lived Alfonso, who was always venadiado by security forces and death squads. Benedetti's poetry from the first moment I was dazzled, I was blown away, not only for its wildly in their language, free poetry, very similar, attached to the French style of Jacques Prevert, with some symbolism in Rimbaud, Baudelare, Vallejo, their fascinating metaphors, so conceptual images. Poetic theme, denouncing human and social injustice. In those days, his poetry made me live and inspiration in moments of violent tension that lived in the country, a human poetry, committed to the cause of the poor, workers, peasants, revolutionary poetry. After Alfonso Hernández I was going sporadically each Benedetti books like " only meanwhile " and another: “Poemas de hoyporhoy”; y otro: “Noción de patria”; y otro: “Próximo prójimo”, “Gracias por el fuego” , por último me devoré “La casa y el ladrillo”, cuyos años de edición ya no los recuerdo. Alfonso me obligaba a escribir sobre cada libro, un comentario de interpretación sobre la poesía de Benedetti, en esa forma el hermano he introduced me to reason with a critical sense of poetry and here we can see with my field of study results and my academic course in literature in foreign universities. Comments, that's me to pieces and congratulated me on some parts of them. Also among the short stories and biographies of the poet Benedetti, who was impressed by his narrative technique, developed in free verse, was "The Birthday of Juan Angel, published in 1971, told in sequences of flashbacks that describe the activities of the urban guerrillas in Montevideo. Later I conocer una antología recopilada y con notas del poeta que titula: “Poesía Trunca”, publicada por Casa de las Américas, pudiendo así conocer, de todos los poetas latinoamericanos asesinados, secuestrados, torturados en cárceles por su militancia y poesía al servicio del pueblo. Ese libro me inspiró a crear una antología hasta hoy por mi negligencia, inédita en mi gaveta, que se titula “Mester de Rebeldía”(Poetas mártires de la revolución salvadoreña) , en mi investigación recojo datos y poemas, actividades de militancia de la mayoría de nuestros poetas que han caído en diversas circunstancias heroicas de su vida, combatiendo con las armas en la mano por la revolución, bajo la dictadura militar salvadoreña y escuadrones de la muerte. Después durante mis años de estudios universitarios, pude leer, consultar y aprender mucho de los ensayos críticos del poeta uruguayo.
Mario Benedetti, nació en el Paso de los Toros en 1920 en Uruguay . Su obra extensa abarca la poesía, la narrativa y el ensayo. Una tears of sadness came into my cheeks as I realized the poet's death occurred in the month of May 2009, after many complaints and at the very moment came the smiling image of Alfonso Hernández , who opened the way to meet this wonderful writer and Alfonso company, met him through Carlos Menjivar, so the association. Benedetti, who is also a poet, wrote novels, short stories, drama and a great number of excellent critical essays and interviews about political issues and the role of militancy in Latin American literature. Traveled extensively in Mexico y Cuba, donde muy a menudo sirvió de jurado en el Premio Casa de las Américas , desde 1967 a 1969 vivió exilado en Cuba, donde dirigió el centro de investigación literaria de CASA y entabló una cercana amistad con el poeta Roque Dálton (1935-1975). Fue miembro del staff de la publicación de izquierda “La Marcha”, además estando en su país, fue líder del “ Movimiento Independientes 26 de Marzo”, parte del “FRENTE AMPLIO”, una coalición formada para hacer frente a la oposición del régimen military dictatorship in Uruguay. He was lucky to meet two of his poems to his death last days, watch it:
"breviary IN THE NIGHT": I want to stay in the middle of the books / vibrate Roque Dalton in Vallejo and Quiroga / being of your pages / most memorable / and from there to judge the poor world / I do not mean that no bind / I think of rustic / Green pupils with free Memory / in compendium of the night in the air my feelings alphabet / known ones landed on my name / I am comfortable with many leaves / wh they are revelations / syllables to me asking for a relief / adjectives that look like toys / I want to stay in the middle of the book / in them I learned to take my steps / to live with weeks and blowing life / understand what I created other / and be at last / this bit I am. ANOTHER of his poems is " Lies" go one to imagine where and when / time will in the thick dust / advanced and advanced while / with their hands tied inexorably / in a dream more or less earthy / si finally comes the classic sunrise / flashing with other seasons / and now without hesitation or stupors / We know that hands are free / and fingers with calisthenics dare / not bad to admit that beats / and just get death pocket / after all, if after all / most exciting is the lie / we say without saying cheers / and happiness is that / in believing that we believe the unbelievable .
The above are the final verses of the poet Mario Benedetti, who left his last book titled " FOR BIOGRAPHY MEET " VISOR the Editorial published in the posthumous tribute. According to latest Benedetti was buried Tuesday May 19, 2009 at the National Pantheon in Montevideo, Uruguay, after being honored government officials, friends, family and his beloved people. Mario Benedetti, and Alfonso Hernández, two Latin American poets, revolutionary fighters who always go on living and singing. 05/18/2009.
