Tropical Town and Other Poems

Tropical Town and Other Poems, de la Selva's little-known first collection, was written in English while he resided in the U.S.; he employs traditional rhyme, meter, and forms such as the sonnet and quatrain. Some works celebrate de la Selva's native land, Nicaragua, while others, such as "e;Finally"e; and "e;The Dreamer's Heart Knows Its Own Bitterness,"e; speak of the United States with a mixture of admiration and misgiving. Love lyrics intermingle with folk songs and poems observing the war then raging in Europe. All are marked by a graceful verbal music, embodying what poet Grace Schulman has called "e;a poetry of deep concern for human suffering."e; In a thoughtful critical introduction, Silvio Sirias surveys the poet's life and work, and examines the "e;poetic dialogues"e; that de la Selva conducted with Millay and Dario.