
Unknown Light, The
Description
This bilingual edition is the first complete English-language collection of poems by this Golden Age writer, considered one of the masters of Spanish literature. Includes León's own preface and tributes to Garcia Lorca and Aleixandre. Barnstone's introduction discusses León's mystical symbols and visions.
Willis Barnstone, professor of comparative literature at Indiana University, also translated Pedro Salinas's My Voice Because of You, published by SUNY Press.
Reviews
"Fray Luis de León (1527–1591), an Augustinian monk of converso origin (i. e., of partly Jewish ancestry), is considered to be one of Spain's greatest lyric poets … Barnstone's lengthy introduction situates the poet in the great tradition of Spanish mystical poetry and clarifies León's special use of theistic mysticism which differed from that of St. John of the Cross. Barnstone also points out León's reliance on the important Jewish cabalistic influences on Spanish letters … A useful addition for collections of Spanish literature. " — Library Journal