Jorge Borges

Luke Myers

This poem was written by an Argentinian man in the mid-early 1900’s. The title of the
poem translates to “Rocks and Chile”. The poem is about someone who has grown old and
cannot remember such a familiar place. He talks about this place as if he has created it, but for
nothing. He is sad that it is turning to dust. In the line “Los reveses de la suerte no cuentan”
(The setbacks of luck do not count), he is saying that despite the hardships he had to overcome,
his home has perished. I don’t fully understand why he writes such a sentimental poem about
Chile, as said in the title. He was born and raised in Argentina, so it is a bit odd that he talks of
Chile as such a familiar place. He uses poetic imagery such as roses and swords in vague
ways that confuse me. Overall, after reading this poem I am still unsure of the meaning behind
some aspects.