Carmen Conde
This author, associated with the Generation of ’27 and the Generation of ’36, wrote in various genres, including poetry, the novel, theater, essay and children’s literature. Her poetry is characterized by language of great lyrical intensity, which intertwines love, nature, femininity, human connection, and existential reflection.
Carmen Conde began writing in Cartagena, far from Madrid’s cultural scene. After reading *Platero y yo*, she wrote a letter to Juan Ramón Jiménez, who introduced her to Ernestina de Champourcin at contact . The two women developed a close friendship, marked by mutual support in their literary work .
"My book will probably be at the printer's tomorrow. What do you know about yours? I'd love for them to come out together. I suppose you have a list of critics who might be interested, so I can send them copies. If you'd like, I can give you the names and contact information of some friends of mine who would surely be happy to take a look at *Brocal*. "
(From Ernestina de Champourcin to Carmen Conde, April 1, 1928)
TRAFFIC
After the light came the Light.
Then came the sea, and with the sea
a longing to die while still alive.
My lonely soul, a smooth dream, breathed
through its silent branches of still water.
Other beings that made me seem small
soared upward in a transparent flight.
Even in those days when they welcomed my presence
they were far removed from my time...;
a silence of heartbeats echoed.
At dawn, a bird sang “
”
and I repeated it with indescribable
clarity, boundless and immeasurable.
(Longing for Grace, 1945)