<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Nicaraguan poet-priest Ernesto Cardenal (1925–2020) is one of the most important Latin American poets. He developed his “exteriorist” poetics in the 1950s, much influenced by Anglo-American poets, in particular Ezra Pound, to differentiate his poetry from the prevailing subjectivist verse in Latin America. The impact of Pound’s canto technique on his work is clear, as well. Cardenal’s epic poem <italic>Cántico cósmico</italic> (<italic>Cosmic Canticle</italic>), published in 1989, is his magnum opus. This work is distinguished by his avant-garde use of science and its language, as he contemplates the entire cosmos and issues of being and non-being. Revolution is another major aspect of the poem, reflecting Cardenal’s commitment as a Christian-Marxist revolutionary. My translations of three fragments of his <italic>Cosmic Canticle</italic> selected by him are published here for the first time. They represent his focus on the origin of our planet and life on Earth.</p>
</abstract>

Nicaraguan poet-priest Ernesto Cardenal (1925–2020) is one of the most important Latin American poets. He developed his “exteriorist” poetics in the 1950s, much influenced by Anglo-American poets, in particular Ezra Pound, to differentiate his poetry from the prevailing subjectivist verse in Latin America. The impact of Pound’s canto technique on his work is clear, as well. Cardenal’s epic poem Cántico cósmico (Cosmic Canticle), published in 1989, is his magnum opus. This work is distinguished by his avant-garde use of science and its language, as he contemplates the entire cosmos and issues of being and non-being. Revolution is another major aspect of the poem, reflecting Cardenal’s commitment as a Christian-Marxist revolutionary. My translations of three fragments of his Cosmic Canticle selected by him are published here for the first time. They represent his focus on the origin of our planet and life on Earth.

Evolving to Science Poetry: Three Poems by Ernesto Cardenal

American, British and Canadian Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Evolving to Science Poetry: Three Poems by Ernesto Cardenal"}

Nicaraguan poet-priest Ernesto Cardenal (1925–2020) is one of the most important Latin American poets. He developed his “exteriorist” poetics in the 1950s,...

Evolving to Science Poetry: Three Poems by Ernesto Cardenal

Published Online: Jan 26, 2024

Page range: 239 - 246

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2023-0028

Keywords
Ernesto Cardenal, science poetry, exteriorism, mysticism, verse translation

© 2023 Jonathan Cohen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Evolving to Science Poetry: Three Poems by Ernesto Cardenal

Published Online: Jan 26, 2024

Page range: 239 - 246

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abcsj-2023-0028

KeywordsErnesto Cardenal, science poetry, exteriorism, mysticism, verse translation

© 2023 Jonathan Cohen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Ernesto Cardenal, science poetry, exteriorism, mysticism, verse translation