Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion

As for many poets, the sonnet form presented the opportunity to Gabriela Mistral to perfect her poetic technique. This study examines in detail the Nobel Laureate's trio of sonnets commemorating the biblical matriarch Ruth. Mistral's treatment of the themes of alienation, self- sacrifice,...

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Main Author: Howard M. Fraser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: New Prairie Press 1978-08-01
Series:Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature
Online Access:http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol3/iss1/2
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author Howard M. Fraser
author_facet Howard M. Fraser
author_sort Howard M. Fraser
collection DOAJ
description As for many poets, the sonnet form presented the opportunity to Gabriela Mistral to perfect her poetic technique. This study examines in detail the Nobel Laureate's trio of sonnets commemorating the biblical matriarch Ruth. Mistral's treatment of the themes of alienation, self- sacrifice, and the search for human dignity features the contrasts of suffering and consolation which are present in the biblical narrative. But, alongside the thematic purposes which the pleasure/pain duality serves, Mistral exploits this opposition for technical and structural reasons. She uses the feelings of love and pain as an organizational device in her treatment of time, characters and diction. The discipline with which she handled traditional metres, in this case the sonnet, reveals that Mistral was a capable and mature poet at an early age.
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spelling doaj.art-155eb54377c348b982a5d68e7b86a2a22022-12-22T01:33:37ZengNew Prairie PressStudies in 20th & 21st Century Literature2334-44151978-08-013110.4148/2334-4415.10565518476Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of PassionHoward M. FraserAs for many poets, the sonnet form presented the opportunity to Gabriela Mistral to perfect her poetic technique. This study examines in detail the Nobel Laureate's trio of sonnets commemorating the biblical matriarch Ruth. Mistral's treatment of the themes of alienation, self- sacrifice, and the search for human dignity features the contrasts of suffering and consolation which are present in the biblical narrative. But, alongside the thematic purposes which the pleasure/pain duality serves, Mistral exploits this opposition for technical and structural reasons. She uses the feelings of love and pain as an organizational device in her treatment of time, characters and diction. The discipline with which she handled traditional metres, in this case the sonnet, reveals that Mistral was a capable and mature poet at an early age.http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol3/iss1/2
spellingShingle Howard M. Fraser
Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature
title Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
title_full Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
title_fullStr Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
title_full_unstemmed Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
title_short Gabriela Mistral's «Sonnets to Ruth»: The Consolation of Passion
title_sort gabriela mistral s sonnets to ruth the consolation of passion
url http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol3/iss1/2
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