Description
The Broken Tongue
Book Summary
Raúl Quinto constructs a powerful textual mechanism that explores the power of the word and the price of raising it against authority. Starting from the legendary gesture of Zeno of Elea, who bit off his own tongue before a tyrant, the author weaves a network of historical episodes—from silenced activists to the massacre on the road to Málaga or the thalidomide scandal—to offer a poetics of silencing and rebellion. A poetically precise analysis of who has the capacity to name the world.
What is it about?
The book begins with the classic anecdote narrated by Diogenes Laertius: Zeno of Elea, tortured by a tyrant to betray his companions, bites off his tongue and spits it in the tyrant's face. This gesture of absolute resistance becomes the central symbol of the work. From there, Raúl Quinto unfolds a collection of poems that connects various episodes of forced silencing and resistance: from activists murdered for their words to dark chapters in Spanish history, such as the massacre on the road to Málaga or the thalidomide scandal. The result is a reflection on the need to rescue words from the mouths of monsters, in a world where others hold the power to name and decide what can or cannot be said.
Main themes
- The power of the word and its capacity for resistance against oppression.
- Silencing as a tool of political and social control.
- Historical memory and episodes of institutional violence in Spain.
- The figure of the activist and the price of dissent.
- The relationship between language, truth, and power.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in contemporary poetry with a strong political and social charge, as well as those seeking a work that combines historical rigor with lyrical experimentation. It will also be of interest to students and enthusiasts of the social and cultural history of Spain, and to anyone who reflects on the role of language in power conflicts.
What this book offers
- A poetic and critical look at historical episodes of silencing and resistance.
- A profound reflection on the value of the word as a tool of emancipation.
- An analysis of the structure of power through language and censorship.
- A work that connects the classical tradition with recent historical memory.
Technical specifications
- Author: QUINTO, RAUL
- Publisher: LA BELLA VARSOVIA
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: POETRY, POETRY BY INDIVIDUAL POETS, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY
- Collection: POETRY
- Binding: Paperback
- Date of publication: April 2019
- Number of pages: 80
- Weight: 150 g
Editorial assessment
The Broken Tongue stands out for its ability to articulate a solid poetic discourse around resistance and silencing, without losing historical rigor or lyrical intensity. Raúl Quinto manages to lead the reader from classical antiquity to contemporary episodes in Spanish history, maintaining a thematic and formal coherence that invites reflection. It is a work that will especially interest those looking for engaged poetry, with a critical gaze and precise writing.