Mirror, Mirror on the Page

This book offers detailed studies of eight works of poetry written by Spanish women in the years following the death of Francisco Franco and the evolution of a democratic government. Each chapter, devoted to a single work, shows how each author defines herself as both as a woman and a poet by portraying a female figure in the text of the poem. These figures may vary from well-known historical or literary figures, biblical women, to mythological figures. They can even include self-portraits, biographical moments from the poet's past, and insignificant or unnamed women such as caregivers, fishmongers, social outcasts, and everyday women involved in routine activities. The linguistic interaction between the woman writing and the figure portrayed in the poem sets in motion a fascinating play of similarity and difference through which these poets inscribe themselves as women and writers in the new, democratic Spain. W. Michael Mudrovic is an Associate Professor of Spanish at Skidmore College.