"That wicked stepmother is the source of all our suffering. The veil has been rent, and now we can see the light; now she wants to return us to darkness. The chains have been broken, we've been liberated, and now our enemies want to make us slaves" (p.13 "The Jamaica Letter").Moreover, Bolívar authenticates his ardor and strong emotion when he writes "Mi Delirio sobre el Chimborazo."
Not only are his compulsive feelings redolent with Romanticism, but Bolívar is prophesizing from the tallest peak in Ecuador. A sublime image in itself, Chimborazo is the setting of Bolívar's confused discourse with celestial powers. He writes, "Wrapped in this mantle...I have traversed the infernal regions, crossed river and seas, climbed the shoulders of the Andes. Under the feet of Colombia, the Earth has flattened itself," but goes on to write, "...as I touched with my head the pinnacle of the firmament and saw at my feet a yawing abyss, I fell in a swoon" ("Mi Delirio sobre el Chimborazo"). Though Bolívar confronts Earth's natural elements, he also clearly demonstrates his mere mortality. The structure of this piece is one of disorder and excitement. Uncommon in pieces of the Enlightenment, "Mi Delirio sobre el Chimborazo" is written as an uncontrolled and compulsive stream of Bolívar's experiences and thoughts, which differs greatly from Bolívar's tight political statements in his Jamaica Letter. Image from Wikipedia
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5 comments:
Very observant. The difference between his Enlightened argumentation/form and Romantic style and subject matter, as you note, is fundamental to understanding both Bolívar and Bello. Perhaps the most Romantic thing about Bolívar, however, is his biography. His life, from the heights of glory to his attempt to leave Latin America just before his death, exude Romantic fervor. Later Romantic activist-poets like Garibaldi and Byron will be inspired by him. Byron actually had a boat named, "Bolívar" or "El Libertador" or something like that. I don´t quite remember. Generations to come will be inspired by the Romantic inclinations of his biography, perhaps, more than his best known writings.
I completely agree with Audrey's statements about the difference in style of Bolivar's writing. I think it makes sense that a man with such passion would be capable of writing both. As Audrey said, when Bolivar wrote "The Jamaica Letter" it was more structured and organized than the poem was but I also think "The Jamaica Letter" exudes passion in a slightly different way. The way that Bolivar obviously knows the problems with each of the separate states and how they came about and which ones have a chance of surviving shows how much Bolivar had dedicated his life to Latin America. Bolivar, while more "focused" in "The Jamaica Letter" makes the reader feel empathetic to the situation. With "The Jamaica Letter"'s clarity and straightforwardness there is nowhere for the reader to hide and miss or perhaps avoid his points.
I also agree with Audrey's statements about how in "The Jamaica Letter" the Romantic passion Bolivar has mixes with his Enlightenment ideals. Not only does he exude passion, as Jenny mentioned, for knowing the problems that exist within each state, but Bolivar also continues by trying to figure out which form of government would not only be best suited for the states at the time, but he also expresses his desire for a type of government that is perfect once each country can become comfortable with its independence. Bolivar's concern for South America can only be described as Romantic passion, although it lacks the more poetic language of "My Delirium", and is instead very straight forward with each point as to how he wants America's governments to work.
This is probably my favorite blog post I have read so far. I thought you did a really nice job looking at Bolivar's different writings. I would agree with Mr. Cummings that the style of writing changes with the topic and believe that Bolivar was perfectly capable as both an Enlightenment and Romantic writer, a trait few probably possessed. I wonder if this could have been part of the reason that he was so successful in getting people to follow him?
After reading Oliver's comment, I want to clarify. What is striking, and perhaps this is a function of Bolívar´s neoclassical education working in conjunction with his romantic biography, is the fact that both manners of thinking can be present in one piece of writing. In the "Jamaica Letter", as Audrey points out, the argumentation (FORM)is very much indebted to the Enlightenment. The content, the message that he wishes to communicate, however, suggests a very romantic throwing-off of the colonial shackles. This letter, like Bello´s "Ode to Tropical Agriculture" is on the cusp of breaking into the Romantic period. New ideas presented in an old way. Thoughts on American freedom and self-sufficiency bound by European forms of thinking, reasoning and writing. This is a concept that the next generation (specifically Sarmiento) is going to be very critical of. That said, as I mentioned above, if Bolívar´s writings can´t be considered fully romantic yet, his life most certainly can.
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