Love as an “oceanic feeling”: The unity of Federico Barreto’s poetic work; [L’amour comme un « sentiment océanique »: L’unité de l’œuvre poétique de Federico Barreto]

Pollarolo G. · Boletin de la Academia Peruana de la Lengua (2026) · DOI: 10.46744/bapl.202601.005

Resumen

In 1993, to celebrate the sixty-fourth anniversary of Tacna’s return to Peru, Banco Continental published Federico Barreto: Poetry. The volume, divided into two sections (“Aroma de mujer” and “Poesía patriótica”), confirmed the traditional view of a split Barreto: on the one hand, the “singer of captivity, ready to die for the Fatherland and longing to return to his native Tacna”; on the other, the poet of love and eroticism. In this paper, I propose that these are not two opposing and irreconcilable aspects, since homeland, Tacna, and woman are synonymous for Barreto, just as God and the beloved were in mystical poetry. I develop my argument by providing basic information about the historical context in which Barreto lived and suffered, and I support it by presenting a collection of poems following a brief review of notions of love in the West. © (2026), (Academia Peruana de la Lengua). All right reserved.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú