La Puerta Íntima
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Commissioned and Recorded by the Gettysburg College Choir
Robert Natter, conductor
James Day, guitar
Elizabeth DeVito, soloist
La Puerta Íntima (The Intimate Door) sets three poems by Puerto Rican writer Julia de Burgos (1914-1953), whose poetry is known for promoting feminism, social justice, and Puerto Rican/Nuyorican identities. As a woman of African descent from a working-class family, de Burgos was met with her fair share of resistance from Puerto Rican intellectuals of her time. “Amaneceres” can be viewed as her response to this criticism. It crackles with the energy of discovering one’s purpose in life, inspiring the reader to defy the establishment and create space for new ideas.
The second poem is a dialogue between nature and the sea. Despite its initial apprehension, nature is destined to return to the water, and its protests are met only with incessant repetition of the ocean’s siren song: “Almamarina…”
“Mar” is an introspective meditation on de Burgos’ relationship with the sea, a place where she finds solace and is able to process deeply personal feelings. De Burgos’ poetry allows us to peer through the keyhole of her intimate door, and challenges us to find our own within ourselves.
Robert Natter, conductor
James Day, guitar
Elizabeth DeVito, soloist
La Puerta Íntima (The Intimate Door) sets three poems by Puerto Rican writer Julia de Burgos (1914-1953), whose poetry is known for promoting feminism, social justice, and Puerto Rican/Nuyorican identities. As a woman of African descent from a working-class family, de Burgos was met with her fair share of resistance from Puerto Rican intellectuals of her time. “Amaneceres” can be viewed as her response to this criticism. It crackles with the energy of discovering one’s purpose in life, inspiring the reader to defy the establishment and create space for new ideas.
The second poem is a dialogue between nature and the sea. Despite its initial apprehension, nature is destined to return to the water, and its protests are met only with incessant repetition of the ocean’s siren song: “Almamarina…”
“Mar” is an introspective meditation on de Burgos’ relationship with the sea, a place where she finds solace and is able to process deeply personal feelings. De Burgos’ poetry allows us to peer through the keyhole of her intimate door, and challenges us to find our own within ourselves.