Two Poets

(279) María Victoria Atencia. El umbral. Valencia: Pretextos, 2011. 47 pp.

(278) Julia Uceda. Hablando con un haya. Pretextos, 2010. 74 pp.

Atencia would seem to be a much more accomplished poet than her contemporary Uceda. I tried to like Uceda's book but the magic was just not there. It seems odd that there is so little difference between a fine poem and one that does not work. The two poets' emotions are equally intense; both have won prizes and are equally serious about their writing. The difference is minuscule, but at the same time potentially enormous (for any given reader).