Adam

<p><em>Adán</em> published in 1916 is Huidobro's earliest mature work and his first attempt at free verse. While still full of rhetorical gestures from his previous symbolist (or <em>modernista</em>) style heavily influenced by Rubén Darío the book shows the author moving into very new territory if at this stage not fully able to cast off his previous allegiances.</p><p></p><p>It is fair to say that the book would today be forgotten were it not for the author's spectacular later career but it retains some interest as a transitional volume albeit not as much as that demonstrated by <em>El espejo de agua</em> (The Water Mirror) also first published in 1916 but written after <em>Adam</em>. </p><p></p><p><em>Adam</em> is a young man's book embarrassingly so at times as the author proudly sets out his stall but it represents a major leap forward. With his claim to Emersonian influence his dismissal of traditional Hispanophone poetry in the Preface and that typically outrageous tone-one we will meet many times in his later works where he shouts from the rooftops Look at me! and lays into his perceived enemies-it's hard to ignore the fact that Huidobro was all of 21 when he began this poem. The sins of youth indeed.</p><p></p><p>The text is bilingual throughout.</p>