Exploring Nicolás Guillén’s "El Apellido" (The Surname) Nicolás Guillén , the National Poet of Cuba, published El Apellido (translated as "The Surname" "My Last Name"
It was a green ear of corn, the hard kernel had not yet burst. A sugarcane heart was bleeding. And my grandparents, with a branding iron in hand, with an iron on the nape of their necks, their chests bared, they no longer had a last name. el apellido nicolas guillen english translation
: Many of his poems are inspired by the son , an Afro-Cuban musical form. While "El Apellido" is more elegiac than his earlier rhythmic works like Motivos de son , it maintains his career-long commitment to making Black culture a legitimate focus of Cuban literature. : Many of his poems are inspired by
The Surname Nicolás Guillén: Meaning, Origins, and English Translation The name they gave me is the name
If you are a teacher or student using this , consider these discussion questions:
—Son — he answered — I am sad because I have no name. The name they gave me is the name of the master who bought my great-grandfather. But my real name, the one from before, the one from Africa, was burned in the hold of a slave ship. And I am looking for it.