Poetry and Racial Justice in Nicolás Guillén’s “Elegía a Emmett Till”

Abstract

Written in honor of the young black American murdered in 1955 in the Money region of Mississippi, «Elegía a Emmett Till» constitutes an important record in the poetic production of Nicolás Guillén, both for its historical and aesthetic relevance and for establishing a direct dialogue with the racial agency of the Cuban writer, who is widely recognized for his literary tradition of social and political commitment. Starting with a brief contextualization of the circumstances of the crime, in dialogue with the complex racial experiences of American social reality, this article analyzes some thematic and stylistic aspects of the composition of the elegy, examining how Guillén articulates images and metaphors to convey his message of mourning for Emmett Till and of denunciation against the historical oppressions suffered by the black people in the United States. The proposed analysis seeks not only to offer interpretations for a critical understanding of the poem and its discursive choices but also to reflect on its meaning as an artistic expression of the struggle for equality and socio-racial justice.