Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Anger," César Vallejo delves into the complexities and multiplicities of human emotion, specifically focusing on how anger manifests and transforms. The poem reads like a chemical reaction, examining how anger dissects and reduces its subject, making something whole into something fragmented. Vallejo's poem, translated by Thomas Merton, examines the vulnerable state of human beings-especially those who are marginalized-as they experience the intense emotion of anger.

The poem begins with the line, "Anger which breaks a man into children," establishing from the outset that anger has a shattering effect. It divides a person, dissecting them into smaller and smaller parts until all that remains are "little eggs." This act of division acts as a metaphor for how anger can reduce us to less than what we are, unmaking our complex identities. Vallejo hints at a sort of regression caused by anger, stripping a man down to his most vulnerable and undeveloped state.

Yet the poem repeatedly comes back to the refrain of "the poor man's anger," emphasizing that the anger of marginalized or disadvantaged people has "one oil against two vinegars," "two rivers against many seas," and "one steel against two daggers." Vallejo's phrasing suggests that the anger of the oppressed is futile or disproportionately countered, a single force standing against a plurality of obstacles. It acknowledges the structural disadvantages faced by those marginalized, saying that their anger, as legitimate as it might be, faces insurmountable odds. It's a bitter acknowledgment that the emotion may not lead to any productive end for them because of systemic injustices that diminish the impact of their anger.

The use of numbers throughout the poem-"one oil against two vinegars," "two rivers against many seas," and so forth-echoes this notion of imbalance. The poor man's anger is always numerically overmatched, emphasizing a sort of existential unfairness. Vallejo doesn't merely examine anger as an abstract emotion; he analyzes its practical inefficacy for those in society who might have the most reasons to be angry.

The phrase "Anger which breaks good into doubts" is particularly compelling. Here, Vallejo suggests that anger has the power to transform moral certainty into skepticism, even cynicism. The stanza that follows breaks down this transformation, eventually ending with "unexpected tombs," implying that the end result of this dissecting anger can often be fatalistic.

The poem concludes by suggesting that anger divides "the soul into bodies / And the body into dissimilar organs / And the organ into octave thoughts." Here, Vallejo brings his theme full circle, touching not just on the physical but also on the spiritual and intellectual impacts of anger. The poem closes with a variation of its recurring line, stating, "The poor man's anger / Has one central fire against two craters." Once again, Vallejo drives home the point about imbalance but also hints at the ongoing, burning nature of this emotion among the marginalized-a single, central fire that persists, even when faced with overwhelming opposition.

By unpacking the deconstructive nature of anger, particularly as it applies to the disenfranchised, Vallejo crafts a poignant social commentary that still resonates. The poem dissects not just the emotion, but also the social conditions that fuel it, offering a bleak yet incisive view of the human condition.

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