Thresholds / Umbrales: Poems

Claribel Alegria of El Salvador is one of Central America's most important literary figures. "Thresholds" is a bilingual edition of one of her poetic works. This edition contains Alegria's Spanish originals, with English translations by her late husband Darwin Flakoll on facing pages."Thresholds" ("Umbrales" in Spanish) is a sort of mini-epic in poetic format. Its nine poem/chapters tell the story of a poet's embrace of her vocation. Themes in the book include transformation, initiation, family ties, and the encounter with nature. What really makes the book interesting is its structure. Each of the nine poem/chapters is given a title that has a mythic, or iconic, feel to it: "The River," "Merlin," "Chalice and Fount," etc. Throughout the poems are many multicultural references: Rilke, Merlin, the mandala, Kukulkan, Auschwitz, Fafnir, Deirdre of the Sorrows, John Lennon, and more. As I read each chapter, I was reminded of the Tarot, the system of illustrated cards used by many to attain occult wisdom. Each of Alegria's poem/chapters is like one of the Major Arcana (or key iconic cards) of her own personal Tarot. The book thus takes on a haunting metaphysical quality.And "Thresholds" is, like Alegria's other work, marked by passion, political commitment, and startling poetic imagery. I especially love when she writes "I am the crow's eye / the persistent eye / scanning / fugitive instants of my time." I feel that our world is enriched by the presence of both Alegria's "persistent eye" and distinctive voice. This is an essential volume for those interested in Latin American literature, poetry, women's studies, and postmodern spirituality.