Polyphonic readings of Jorge Guillén’s and Pedro Salinas’ collected letters

Abstract

This article addresses Jorge Guillén and Pedro Salinas’ epistolary voice, two fundamental poets in the renewal of Spanish literature around 1927. Both excelled in their letter writing activity. The article discusses some of the similarities and differences we can detect in their correspondence, especially in the letters Guillén sent to his wife, Germaine Cahen, and the letters of Pedro Salinas in general. Letter writing, together with prose and poetry, is a significant part of Guillén and Salinas’ literary and vital projects, and it helps us better know hidden aspects of their writing. Salinas expresses a “perfect forever”, while Guillén is close to a “real human tremor”.