Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Love Your Rhythm..." by Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento, a Nicaraguan poet (1867-1916), also known as Rubén Darío, is a complex poetic exhortation that delves into the unity of form and substance, both in art and life. The poem begins with an imperative: to align one's actions with a certain rhythmic quality, which, according to the poem, also governs the crafting of verses. In just the opening line, Darío sets forth the symbiosis between life and art, suggesting that the quality of one reflects on the other. The individual, then, is not merely a person but "a universe of universes," hinting at the complexity of human nature and experience.

This duality of the individual-as both an entity and a composition of multiple 'universes'-is further reflected in the phrase "and your soul a fount of songs." The soul is not just an essence or a spiritual entity; it is a wellspring of artistic expression. The poem argues for the importance of harmony, stating that the soul's songs are part of a "celestial unity," a grand cosmic order. This can also be interpreted as a nod to the Neo-Platonic and Pythagorean concept that the universe is ordered by numerical and harmonious principles, a point made explicit when the poem talks about numbers that "pythagorize in your constellations."

The emphasis on Pythagorean principles adds a layer of complexity to the poem. It introduces the idea that everything, from the macrocosmic universe to the microcosmic individual, is governed by mathematical harmony. The individual is not just to live rhythmically but to "pythagorize," to align oneself with cosmic harmony. This is more than a metaphor; it's a philosophical worldview that posits the unity of all things through the divine language of mathematics and music.

Following this cosmic order, the poem encourages the reader to be attentive to the world around them. "Listen to the divine rhetoric of the airborne bird and divine the nocturnal geometric emanation;" here, the world itself is a text to be read, full of divine rhetoric and geometric patterns. By doing so, one can overcome "taciturn indifference" and participate in a chain of "pearl after crystalline pearl," a beautiful metaphor for a series of insights or epiphanies that lead to a greater truth.

Ultimately, the poem serves as a manifesto for a life lived in accordance with both artistic and cosmic principles. It pushes for the kind of existential and artistic unity that celebrates the individual not just as a being but as a 'universe of universes,' each contributing to the greater celestial music. It calls for a life that is not just lived but lived artfully, poetically, harmonically - where even the soul becomes "a fount of songs," and one's existence turns into a celebration of the divine unity that underlies all things. It's a poetic vision that is as philosophically rich as it is aesthetically pleasing, asking the reader to align themselves with a greater cosmic rhythm and thus tap into an eternal wellspring of beauty and truth.

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