Poetic language and black identity: Two representations of African heritage in Colombian poetry of the 40s

Abstract

Afro-hispanic literature in Latin America is a phenomenon that demands the understanding of racial identity as a fluid, multidimensional and social construct which takes place as a plastic performance with different facets. The poems in Evangelios de hombre y del paisaje by Helcías Martán Góngora and Tambores en la noche by Jorge Artel deploy two ways of presenting afrocolombianity in Hispanic American poetry at the beginning of the 20th century. Using a poetic language of Spanish tradition and a “piedracielista” tone, both authors turn to African heritage in the display of an identity that aims for a collective and fraternal reach. In doing so, they take two different stances when facing the contentious process of an African-rooted identity in the hegemonic space of Andean Colombia.

Keywords

• afrocolombianity
• afro-hispanic literatura
• hispanic american poetry
• piedracielismo
• racial identity