Los Pobres-Roberto Sosa

Published in 1969, “Los Pobres” (“The Poor” in English) depicts Honduran citizens who live in complete poverty. The author, Roberto Sosa, paints a grim picture of the nation’s lowest class whose dreams are dead, who “enter and exit through mirrors of blood”, and have no purpose in life other than to eventually die (Sosa). These are extremely harsh words to read, possibly due to a personal connection to the poor by Sosa. Born into poverty in 1930, he had to work many jobs around the clock to support his family. By the 1960s he had gained some clout, but was still struggling. This struggle was parallel to the rest of the nation of Honduras, especially during this time period. Eventually though, Sosa gained recognition as a poet by winning awards, editing a magazine, and becoming a university professor (“Roberto Sosa”).

Honduras has never been fully able to truly become wealthy. Exporting bananas provided some sustenance early on, but it does not generate a sizable income. It was, and still is to this day, a predominantly rural nation (Chasteen, M-6). Sosa emphasizes that poor people make up the majority of Honduras, and although they control no power, he reminds the reader multiple times that they are “impossible to forget” (Sosa). 

The poem’s translator, Spencer Reese, provides a greater focus on the message this poem is trying to explain. Reese has visited the country and saw in person how blighted the poorest Spanish-speaking country in the Western Hemisphere truly is. To him, the poem captures the pain, silence, abuse, abandonment, and malnourishment endured by the people of Honduras. He considers the land and people to be overlooked by the rest of the world, saying, “Stripped of baroque excess, the poem hangs on the page like a crucifix” (Reese). Arguably, this quote hits the hardest and truly captures the grief Roberto Sosa expresses in this work.

Works Cited:

Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire. 4rd edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 2016.

Reece, Spencer. “Translator’s Note: ‘The Poor’ by Roberto Sosa.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, March 1, 2012. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/145412/translators-note-the-poor-by-roberto-sosa. 

“Roberto Sosa.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/roberto-sosa. 

Sosa, Roberto. “Los Pobres.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/55411/the-poor-56d237030735a