Readings of Don Quijote in recent Spanish poetry: «I remembered my name in Barcelona»

Abstract

Against the romantic interpretation which advocates that Don Quixote is a heroic, idealistic character, the Spanish poetry of the late 20th century and the early 21st century has proposed an anti-heroic, realistic view of the errant knight. On the one hand, poems such as «Don Quijote», by Manuel Vilas, and «Primera salida de don Quijote», by Felipe Benítez Reyes, focus on the nobleman’s insanity from a grotesque or prosaic perspective. On the other hand, poems such as «Morirse de cordura», by Ana Merino, and «Las confesiones de don Quijote», by Luis García Montero, stand up for sanity, represented by Aldonza Lorenzo’s individual character or by Alonso Quijano’s collective projection. Based on the above examples, this paper argues that the dialogue between Don Quixote and contemporary readers lies in the humanization of Cervantes’ characters, in the quotidian dimension of their personalities or in the complicity generated by their reflections.