EROS' TERRITORY

Eroticism has not been an easy topic throughout Literature's History, given the myriad of social, editorial and inherently literary obstacles present before reaching the point where it is now. Eroticism and sex have been linked to humankind's society and culture since the beginning of time, and in literature's case it is no exception, despite having frequently been subject to censorship for being considered a condemnable or sinful subject. Likewise, allusions to sex or erotic fragments are also recurrent in major works, not as their main theme but as stand-alone episodes that contribute to the narrative's progression or the characters' development.

For this reason, we believe poetry can be fertile ground for the development of a creativity that will stimulate erotic imagination. Most certainly, this does not imply we need to fall into the vulgar, the pornographic, even though some will undoubtedly overuse rhymes to hatch obscene verses.

What we call classic erotic poetry, so censored in the past, does not actually shock anybody anymore, given the immense and explicit amount of examples endorsed by the media. It is precisely in the face of the explicit that which resorts to the intense use of metaphors and symbolism acquires greater beauty, implicitly suggesting what our imagination has to make up for.

Erotic poetry of any period can be beautiful without having to provide details. Poetry where the amatory motif is merely a pretext to coin beautiful words, to add sublimity to what is already, in itself, sublime. A language of innuendos, a moment in life to enjoy those verses and caresses that remind us of the beauty that lies in living beside the one we love...

In the words of Pablo Neruda, we will say:

“Pienso que se fundó mi poesía
No solo en soledad sino en un cuerpo
Y en otro cuerpo, a plena piel de luna
Y con todos los besos de la tierra.”

"Verso a Verso" as a collective has ventured into trying to set up this poetry reading, not with the intention of being different but of increasing the value of that which flourishes out of love and is closely tied to it.

Antonio Mula

Presented by: Antonio Mula

Coordinated by: José Luis Rico

Reading poems by:

Ultrahumana ............................................................. Laura Victoria
La casada infiel ................................................ Federico García Lorca
Pasión ............................................................ Miguel Ángel Sánchez
Cuerpo de mujer ......................................................... Pablo Neruda
Recuerdo de una tarde de verano ............................. Luis García Montero
La fuente en la ceniza ................................................. Antonio Gracia
Imán de ti ................................................................ Amalia Iglesias
Piedra de horno ......................................................... Nicolás Guillén
Mi jardín de los suplicios ................................................. Ana Rossetti
Quiero que me escribas ......................................... Paula Andrea García
Entrega .................................................................... Laura Victoria
Cuando te levantaba las faldas ............................... Juan Ramón Jiménez
Campo de batalla ........................................................ Rafael Alberti
Friso ....................................................................... José Luis Rico
Ahí mismo ............................................................ Claudio Rodríguez
Romance de la gentil dama y el rústico pastor ........................ Anonymous
Cuerpo a la vista ........................................................... Octavio Paz
Quién eres tú ..................................................... Luis García Montero
Canción del macho y de la hembra .................................... Pablo Neruda
Una mujer desnuda ................................................... Mario Benedetti

Recited by:

Conchi Agulló
Antonio Mula
Miguel Ángel Sánchez
Josep Durá
Nelly Ferreira
Lucía Francisco
Chelo Oñate
Carmen F. Bolaños
Mati Zamorano
Mª Dolores Iglesias
José Luis Rico
Elvira Pizano
Rafael Torres
Mª Carmen Sacristán