The Guitar

“The Guitar” is a free-verse poem with no discernible rhyme scheme or rhythmic pattern. It takes the form of one long stanza with fairly short lines, one to five words per line, suggesting one musical episode with distinct moments and variations. Each phrase—sometimes, though not always, a complete sentence— ends with a period along with capitalization that initiates the next thought or phrase. “Oh, guitar!” (Line 25) features an exclamation point rather than a period to showcase a more potent declaration of emotion toward the end of the poem. The lines with only one word punctuate that word’s impact, such as “useless” (Line 7) and “impossible” (Line 9), which refer to the intensity of the guitar’s weeping sounds. While there is no specific rhythmic structure, the use of alliteration adds to the musicality of the poem, including “water weeps” and “wind weeps” (Line 12-13); the words that feel like a whisper to utter.

Lorca elevates the status of the guitar into a living, breathing entity with human characteristics. The main action of the guitar—its weeping—sets the tone for the guitar to be able to express dark, complex emotions.