The Guitar

“The Guitar,” or in its original Spanish “La Guitarra,” is a free verse lyrical poem by Spanish poet, playwright, and amateur musician Federico Garcia Lorca. It was written in November 1921, among other poems, in preparation for a flamenco festival in Granada the following year and was published in the collection Poem of the Deep Song, or Poem of the Cante Jondo. While this was originally a collection of 55 poems, Lorca added two dialogues in 1925. This poem is famous in Spain, akin to the “Star Spangled Banner” in the United States, and its lyrical recitation is often accompanied by flamenco guitar playing. In “The Guitar,” Lorca personifies the dramatic capabilities of the instrument, also bringing to light the longing and suffering of the human experience. This poem is inspired by Lorca’s interest in the history of flamenco music and the Modernismo movement of poets in the late 19th and early 20th century Spain, which emphasized national pride, cultural maturity, a search for beauty, and Romantic ideals (with an emphasis on the melodramatic).

Poet Biography

Born in 1898 near Granada, Spain, Lorca grew up with his farmer father and teacher mother. At age 11, he expressed an interest in music and began to take piano lessons.