‘Recuérdalo tú y recuérdalo a otros’: Historical Memory and Poetic History in Luis Cernuda’s ‘1936’

Resumen

Luis Cernuda’s ‘Recuérdalo tú y recuérdalo a otros’ has become a frequent reference in the debates over historical memory of the Spanish Civil War that have taken place in Spain at least since 2004. Readers tend to treat this poetic line as an authoritative exhortation, and in repeating it, they seem to remember Cernuda and remember Cernuda to others, carrying out the act of remembrance that it demands. This essay explores the value of this act of remembrance. Among the questions this essay asks are: What function do the memorial strategies unique to lyric utterance fulfill in shaping collective memory? What social purposes do poetic testimonies serve in a historical period marked by memory and commemoration?