Discussion on Hispanic Poetry
It was a great delight to read the book “Platero and I” by Juan Ramón Jiménez as it appeared to be light, easy and gentle. I do not remember coming across a story in which the author puts so much effort into describing an animal that is not only his friend but also a soul mate. I enjoyed reading those paragraphs which are dedicated to the description of the donkey. Jiménez has chosen such tender and warm words to describe Platero that every reader will immediately fall in love with this soft and hairy donkey “made of cotton, with no bones”. (Jiménez 10)
There are a lot of my favorite chapters in the book and one of them is called “Kindergarten”. In it the narrator dreams of Platero to come to kindergarten together with other children, learn ABC and how to write. He often talks to his donkey and considers him to be a good listener, but he also wants to hear a couple of words from him, to have a small talk with him and maybe to share with even deeper feelings and emotions. Jiménez thinks of Platero as of a human being and thinks that education can make him smarter than a priest or a doctor, as Platero seems to be kind and thoughtful. But soon the author realizes that his donkey is clumsy and big: “In what little chair could you sit, at what table could you write, what paper and what pen would do for you []?” (Jiménez 10) In my opinion, sometimes Jiménez regrets that his donkey is just an animal, but all the same respects him and treats as a person.
My favorite character in the book is, of course, a donkey, more precisely the way the author describes him. While reading, I feel a strong connection between Platero and the author and find it very adorable and delightful. Most of all I liked this quote: “He is as loving and tender as a child, but strong and sturdy as a rock”. (Jiménez 3) And the narrator is totally right, because donkey is often used in the literature as a symbol of spiritual dedication, intelligence, versatility, determination, hard work and stubbornness. The reader may see all these qualities in Platero as he plays with children, helps other donkey to pull out a cart that stuck in a mud. Such devotion of a man to an animal can be of a moral lesson to the children, teach them of being good with animal, the way to treat them and to be friendly and kind in general.
Commenting:
I cannot but agree with your though. Platero and the narrator are friends; they have a long journey and deal with different situations on their way that made them so close. They are the family and soul mates, I think. The fact that Platero is a silent character does not prevent Jiménez from talking to his donkey and sharing his thoughts, emotions and feelings with him.
I also share your interest in the chapter “Twilight Games”. I would like to add that the way Jiménez portrays the children and their manner of talking, helps the reader to imagine the times in which people lived than in his country. As children like to copy their parents, they listen attentively, absorb and act out the scenes they may have seen in the real life. That is why the narrator often compares Platero with a child, who listens. I also agree that the book should be read by every child the earlier the better. They will get acquainted with the world around them, with the different people, who live in this world, how to behave I various situations and may even influence their life choices and dreams.
Work Cited
Jiménez, Juan Ramón. Platero And I. 1st ed. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1957. Print.
