Prosas Profanas

Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 90K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Prosas Profanas by Rubén DaríoAuthor: Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916,Language: Spanish, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Dec 12, 2014

Editor's review

Prosas Profanas is a signature poetry collection by the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, written in Spanish and a landmark of Spanish-language Modernist literature. In language both refined and musical, rich in imagery and mythological allusion, it pursues beauty, sensuality, and exotic imagining, and shows the poet's absorption and transformation of French Parnassian and Symbolist models. For Chinese readers its value lies not only in its place in literary history but in the chance to experience directly the sound and rhythm of Spanish verse. It is best read slowly and aloud, again and again, rather than as a narrative. Because the original is in Spanish and densely allusive and ornate in style, the barrier to entry is high; a working knowledge of Spanish or the use of annotations and a parallel translation is recommended. The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to search and carry, and suits close reading and language study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners with some Spanish who want to read Spanish poetry in the original
Readers studying Spanish-language Modernist literature and the history of poetry
Literature lovers interested in late nineteenth-century Symbolist and Parnassian poetry
University teachers and students who need Spanish poetry texts for translation practice or classroom analysis

Not a good fit for

General readers with no Spanish who want an easy read
Readers who prefer strongly plotted, narrative works
Beginners who expect Chinese annotations or a guide but do not want to look things up themselves

Reading tips

Read one or two poems through first, marking unfamiliar words and allusions, then go through them closely one by one; do not try to do too much at once.
Read the original aloud, attending to syllables and stress to feel the musicality, then return to the meaning.
Read alongside a brief introduction to Spanish literary history or Modernist poetry to build a background framework.
Read in parallel with a Chinese translation, focusing on how imagery and syntax are handled differently.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or Spanish?

According to the source, the book is in Spanish; it is the original Spanish text of Rubén Darío's poetry collection, not a Chinese translation. Chinese readers with limited Spanish are advised to use a translation or annotations alongside it.

Can I read this book without any Spanish?

You can try, but it will be difficult. The poems are densely allusive and ornate, and without Spanish you may be stuck at the literal level. A safer approach is to read a Chinese translation or introduction first, then return to the original for its rhythm and diction.

What are the features of this edition?

This is the electronic edition released by Project Gutenberg, free to obtain, easy to search, and easy to carry. It suits close reading, classroom excerpts, and language study, but it does not necessarily include detailed annotations or an introduction.

In what order should I read this collection?

There is no need to go from beginning to end. Start with shorter poems with concentrated imagery; once you are familiar with the poet's diction and rhythm, move on to pieces with denser allusions and more complex structure, taking brief notes.

Comments

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About the author

Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916 Author

Rubén Darío (Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916) is a central figure of Spanish American modernismo, and his work was foundational for Latin American literature from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The library holds 22 of his works, including the poetry collections Azul..., Prosas Profanas, Cantos de Vida y Esperanza, Los Cisnes y otros poemas, El Canto Errante, and Poema del Otoño y otros poemas, as well as prose and story works such as Cuentos y crónicas, Todo al Vuelo, and La Caravana Pasa. His poetry is polished and musical, rich in symbol and sensory imagery, treating themes of life, hope, autumn, swans, and wandering, with a style both elegant and melancholic; his prose is flexible in tone, recording observations and impressions. He helped renew Spanish-language poetic form and deeply influenced later Latin American and Spanish-language literature. Public information is limited, and details of his birthplace, nationality, and specific experiences are not confirmed.