Buzz
Prompt: Exploring Lorca's Guitar Piece
Understanding Lorca's guitar piece, Guiding solutions for Literature textbook for 12th grade, volume 1 exercises
Question 1: (Page 166, Literature Textbook Grade 12 Volume 1)
Answer:
- Imagery: The sound of the guitar like bubbling water, the intense red cloak, the dizzying moon, the tired horse: These are symbolic images of the heroic figure Lorca when he was alive.
+ His guitar sound is lively, beautiful yet fragile, easily shattered like 'bubbling water', akin to Lorca's life, the talented yet ill-fated artist.
+ The 'intense red cloak' symbolizes Spain with its bullfighting festivals, Lorca resembles a brave knight donning a vibrant cloak, ready to confront the fierce bulls representing the fascist reactionary forces of Franco.
+ The 'dizzying moon' is a surreal image, both beautiful and expressing loneliness, the isolation of the artist amidst the darkness, only illuminated by the moonlight.
+ The 'weary horse saddle' is a symbol of the exhaustion of the hero Lorca during his solitary days of battle, eventually there comes a time when he grows tired, longing to rest in a distant place.
- Associations with imagery: The blood-soaked red cloak, the brown guitar sound, the green guitar sound, the round guitar sound bursting like bubbles, the guitar sound gushing blood,... In contrast to the imagery above depicting the figure of the hero Lorca, the imagery here evokes the tragic death of the hero Lorca, with the red cloak stained with blood, the somber 'brown' color, the round guitar sound but shattered like 'bubbling water'.
- Lorca swims sideways, on a silver guitar, he throws the leaf charm of the girl Di Gan into the whirlpool, casting his heart into silence. These are images depicting Lorca's immortality in the hearts of the Spanish people, though his body has died, his soul still reigns, he still wanders with his beloved guitar in search of freedom in another world, a world with brighter, more beautiful colors, letting go of all entanglements in this life.
Question 2: (Page 166, Literature Textbook Grade 12 Volume 1)
Answer:
'No one buries the guitar sound
The guitar sound like wild grass
Sparkling at the bottom of the well
Moonlight tears'
The poetic passage portrays surreal imagery crafted by Thanh Thao dedicated to the tragic death of the late artist Lorca. He was brutally murdered by fascist thugs, then his body was thrown into a well. The guitar sound is a symbol of the soul of the artist Lorca, 'No one buries the guitar sound / The guitar sound like wild grass' expresses infinite compassion for the tragic death of the talented yet ill-fated artist, his lifelong struggle, sacrifice for noble goals and ideals, he lived a truly beautiful life, a pride of the Spanish nation. However, Lorca died unjustly, in loneliness, his body was thrown into an abandoned well, not given a decent burial. Although his body has died, his soul still seems alive, he has put it into the guitar sound, 'The guitar sound like wild grass', so the guitar sound seems to have vitality, resilience, cannot be eradicated like weeds, spreading far and wide. That reflects faith in justice, faith in righteousness that will always exist, the image of the hero Lorca still lives in the hearts of the Spanish people.
The imagery 'Sparkling at the bottom of the well / Moonlight tears' expresses infinite sorrow for Lorca's death, even the cosmic nature like the moon sheds tears, those tears fall into the bottom of the well where Lorca lies, covering Lorca's body like a comfort. At the same time, the appearance of the moon is also a symbol of the eternal soul comparable to the universe's stature of Lorca.
Question 3: (Page 166, Literature Textbook Grade 12 Volume 1)
Answer:
- Stemming from the poem's title, the guitar holds symbolic significance primarily for the beautiful culture of Spain. It thereby reflects the artistic ideology of the artist Lorca, deeply connected to the nation's culture, advocating for the aspirations of innovation and cultural renewal. The guitar is also Lorca's passion, symbolizing the beauty of the talented and romantic artist.
- The imagery of the guitar sound evolves throughout the poem with the central metaphor being 'the guitar sound like bubbling water,' portraying the fate and tragedies of the artist Lorca's life. His life was noble, romantic, fresh, vibrant, with a desire to innovate the nation, yet he departed when still young, leaving many plans unfinished. These characteristics are all encapsulated in a highly skilled metaphor, 'bubbling water,' beautiful, fresh, vibrant yet fragile, easily shattered.
- The guitar sound represents the various emotional states of the artist, sometimes lively, heroic, sometimes melancholic, weary.
- The images 'Brown guitar sound', 'green guitar sound knowing many', 'round guitar sound gushing blood', 'round guitar sound bursting like bubbles,' all depict the tragic death and infinite compassion for the fate of the artist Lorca.
