Poetry and Violence: The Ballad Tradition of Mexico's Costa Chica

Poetry and Violence: The Ballad Tradition of Mexico's Costa Chica
ISBN-10
0252025881
ISBN-13
9780252025884
Category
Ballads, Spanish
Pages
251
Language
English
Published
2000
Publisher
University of Illinois Press
Author
John Holmes McDowell

Description

Focusing on the tragic corrido with its stories of heroic mortal encounter, McDowell examines the intersection of poetry and violence from three perspectives. He explores the contention that poetry celebrates violence, perhaps thereby perpetuating it, by glorifying for receptive audiences the deeds of past heroes. He discerns a regulatory voice within the corrido that places violent behavior within the confines of a moral universe, distinguishing legitimate from illegitimate forms of violence. Finally, he contends that poetry can be a healing force that helps sustain the community in the wake of violent events.

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