Poem Analysis - Invocation To The Laurel

Federico Garcia Lorca's "Invocation to the Laurel" is a deeply evocative poem, steeped in symbolism and a yearning for profound wisdom. The poem's tone is initially reverent and inquisitive, shifting to a sense of frustration and ultimately, a plea for understanding. Lorca explores the poet's relationship with nature, the search for meaning, and the isolation felt in the face of unanswered questions. The poem unfolds as a dialogue between the speaker and the natural world, culminating in a direct address to the silent, wise laurel tree.

The Poet and Nature's Language

One of the central themes in the poem is the poet's connection with nature and their ability to decipher its hidden language. The opening stanzas establish the speaker as someone attuned to the subtle voices of the natural world. "I knew the language of stones and flowers," the speaker declares, suggesting an almost mystical understanding. The speaker then details their learned knowledge from different natural objects such as cypresses, nettles, ivy, nard and irises. The poet has learned the "secrets of melancholy" and sang "serene songs," emphasizing their capacity to connect with the emotional landscape of the environment. The forest, with its pines "drunk on aroma and sound" and "old olives, burdened with knowledge," acts as a repository of wisdom, shared with the receptive poet. This connection highlights the poet's role as an interpreter, translating nature's profound messages for the human world.

The Burden of Unanswered Questions

Despite this deep connection with nature, a sense of unresolved questioning permeates the poem. While the natural elements willingly share their secrets and stories, they fail to provide the ultimate answers the speaker seeks. The refrain "But tell me..." introduces a note of desperation. The speaker specifically asks about their fate, "if my heart / will sleep in the arms of perfect light!" indicating a desire for solace and enlightenment. This quest remains unfulfilled. The speaker even anticipates the replies he will get from the roses, cypresses and olive trees.

Silence as a Form of Scorn

The isolation and frustration felt by the speaker reach their peak in the invocation to the laurel. Unlike the other elements of the forest, the laurel remains stubbornly silent. This silence is perceived as a form of rejection, a refusal to share its "divine history" and "profound and sincere" wisdom. The speaker accuses the laurel of scorning their song, highlighting the pain of being ignored by the very source they seek guidance from. The speaker's shift in tone from reverence to almost accusatory reveals a profound sense of disappointment.

Symbols of Life, Death, and Art

The poem is rich in symbolism. The laurel itself, traditionally a symbol of victory and poetic achievement, here represents a higher form of knowledge, inaccessible to the speaker. The cypress, associated with mourning and death, embodies the speaker's own melancholy. The roses, linked to love and beauty, foreshadow a destiny intertwined with death, as their lyre is "fashioned of strings from my dead life." The recurrent image of "stars" suggests guidance and hope. The speaker's desire to leave the "lyre," made from his past life, in a pool is a symbol of the poet's search for a new way of creating art, an art freed from old passions and pains.

A Poet's Unrelenting Quest

In conclusion, "Invocation to the Laurel" is a poignant exploration of the poet's yearning for wisdom and the inherent loneliness of the artistic pursuit. The poem's vibrant imagery and symbolic language create a powerful atmosphere of longing and frustration. Lorca captures the complex relationship between the poet and the natural world, highlighting both the comfort and the limitations of finding solace in nature. Ultimately, the poem leaves us contemplating the nature of truth, the challenges of artistic creation, and the enduring human desire for meaning in a silent and indifferent universe. Is the laurel's silence a sign of scorn or an invitation for the poet to discover the answers within themselves?