City
This poem paints a vivid picture of Santiago, the capital of Chile, as a city plagued by decay and neglect. The imagery of 'rotten teeth' and 'starving walls' suggests urban deterioration, while the 'dead body among winter flies' evokes a sense of death and desolation. The poem laments the city's inheritance of a 'sad legacy' from a bygone era of elegance and power, symbolized by 'fancy ladies' and 'gentlemen with white goatees.' The poet questions how to rejuvenate the city, likening it to a 'wretched daughter' in need of care and renewal. The poem's tone is both mournful and hopeful, seeking ways to 'restore your skin, your springtime, your fragrance,' and ultimately to 'give you new hands and new eyes,' symbolizing a desire for transformation and rebirth. The use of free verse allows for a fluid, expressive meditation on the city's past and potential future.
| Word | In English | Plain (English) | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| rotten | decayed | spoiled or decomposed | raht-uhn |
| bloated | swollen | enlarged or puffed up | bloh-tid |
| tatters | shreds | torn pieces | tat-uhz |
| legacy | inheritance | something handed down from the past | leh-guh-see |
| fancy | elaborate | decorative or intricate | fan-see |
| goatees | small beards | a small pointed beard | goh-teez |
| talons | claws | sharp claws of a bird of prey | tal-uhnz |
| inheritance | heritage | something received from ancestors | in-her-i-tuhns |
| wretched | miserable | in a very unhappy state | rech-id |
| restore | renew | bring back to a former condition | ri-stawr |
| fragrance | scent | a pleasant smell | frey-gruhns |
| kindle | ignite | to start a fire or spark | kin-dl |
| blossoming | flowering | developing or flourishing | blos-uh-ming |
| inherit | receive | to receive from predecessors | in-her-it |
| sorrowful | sad | full of sorrow | sor-oh-ful |
The poet's identity is not specified, but the work reflects contemporary themes of urban decay and renewal.