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Greguerias

By Ramon Gómez de la Serna - Spain, 1888–1963
Beginning | Animals, Language

La Qes un gato que perdió la cabeza.

 

La Oes la Idespués de comer.

 

Trueno: caída de un baúl por las escaleras

del cielo.

 

El libro es un pájaro con más de cien alas

para volar.

 

Las gaviotas nacieron de los pañuelos que

dicen ¡adiós! en los puertos.

 

El perfume es el eco de las flores.

Las hormigas llevan el paso apresurado

como si las fuesen a cerrar la tienda.

 

Ningún pájaro ha logrado sacar las manos

de las mangasde las alas, salvo el

murciélago.

 

De la nieve caída en los lagos nacen los

cisnes.

 

 

 

WORD
DEFINITION
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
a (prep.) indicates direction or position to, toward, en route for, on the way to
adiós (exclamation) a concluding remark when parting good-bye, bye, so long, farewell, take care
alas (n.) bird limbs for flying wings
apresurado (adj.) done in a hurry hasty, hurried, in a hurry, quickly, swiftly
baúl (n.) large traveling case trunk, case, valise
cabeza (n.) the top part of the body supported by the neck head
caída (adj.) having dropped rapidly from a higher place fallen, dropped, tumbled
cerrar (v.) to cover an opening or bring together the parts or edges of something close, seal, close up, secure, lock up
cielo (n.) region above the earth sky, heaven
cien (adj.) numbering one hundred one hundred
cisnes (n.) large white long-necked birds swans
comer (v.) to consume as sustenance eating, dining, consuming, gobbling, devouring
como si (conj.) indicates a situation that would be the case if as if, as though, like
con (prep.) possessing something as a feature or accompaniment with, containing, having
de (prep.) belonging to or coming from of, from
del (prep. + art.) contraction (de + el)—belonging to one thing as distinct from another of the
después de (prep.) later than after, following, subsequent to
dicen (v.) from the verb decir—to utter something say, call, announce, declare
eco (n.) repeated sound echo, reverberation, resonance
el (art.) masculine singular form—indicates one as distinct from another the
en (prep.) word used to express location on, at, in, by
es (v.) from the verb ser—to be is
escaleras (n.) series of steps stairs, staircase, stairway, flight of stairs
flores (n.) brightly colored parts of a plant flowers, blossoms, blooms
gato (n.) furry animal that purrs and meows cat, feline
greguerías (n.) short, humorous poems, usually one sentence long greguerías
ha logrado (v.) from the verb lograr—to succeed in doing has managed, has been able to, has succeeded in
hormigas (n.) insects living in colonies ants
la (art.) feminine singular form—indicates one as opposed to another the
lagos (n.) inland bodies of water lakes, ponds, lagoons, tarns
las (art.) feminine plural form—indicates some as opposed to others the
las fuesen (v.) past tense of the verb ser—to be or to go they were, they were going
libro (n.) bound collection of pages book, volume, tome, manuscript, paperback
llevan (v.) from the verb llevar—to hold and transport somebody or something take, carry, lead, bring
los (art.) masculine plural form—indicates some as opposed to others the
mangas (n.) covering for arms sleeves
manos (n.) end of human arms hands
más de (adj.) greater in size, amount, or degree more than, well beyond, over, more
murciélago (n.) flying mammal bat
nacen (v.) from the verb nacer—to be brought into being are born
nacieron (v.) past tense of the verb nacer—to be brought into being were born
nieve (n.) soft pieces of frozen water that fall from the sky snow
ningún (adj.) not any no, not any, none of
pájaro (n.) two-legged, winged animal with feathers and a beak bird
pañuelos (n.) square cloths used for wiping noses handkerchiefs, hankies, tissues, kerchiefs
para (conj.) for the benefit of to, in order to, for, intended for, designed for, meant for, used for
paso (n.) short movement with the foot step, pace, stride
perdió (v.) from the verb perder—to be unable to find lost, mislaid, is missing, misplaced, vanished
perfume (n.) fragrant liquid perfume, cologne, scent
por (prep.) the trajectory of a thing or person along, down, by
puertos (n.) location on the shore where boats are stationed, arrive, and depart ports, harbors, waterfronts, seaports, docks, marinas
que (conj.) used to introduce a new clause that
sacar (v.) to take something out of something else to take out, to remove, to extract, to pull out, to release
salvo (prep.) excluding except, save, but
tienda (n.) a place for selling goods store, shop
trueno (n.) a loud noise following lightning thunder
un (art.) used to distinguish something a, one
volar (n.) to move through the air fly, soar, take wing, take off, take flight

Bio

Born in Madrid to an uppermiddleclass family, Ramón Gómez de la Serna decided to become a writer rather than a lawyer or politician,as his father would have liked. Gómez de la Serna was always interested in looking at the world in new ways. In his writing, he found a creative outlet by turning the world upside down using a mixture of humor and imagery. He is best known for inventing poems called greguerías. Greguerías are shortusually one sentenceand express a single thought that is both witty and lyrical. While Gómez de la Sernais usually considered the inventor,the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges argued that greguerías were actually invented by the French writer Jules Renard, who used a formula to define this kind of poetry:metaphor + humor.

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