Publisher's Synopsis
WHY THIS BOOK? This is the second book published with the poetry written by my grandfather, Carlos Mario Fraticelli. The first book of poems is his original work in Spanish titled La Poesía Puertorriqueña de Carlos Mario Fraticelli. This book is titled Carlos Mario Fraticelli, PUERTO RICAN POETRY - DÉCIMAS DESDE HAWAII with English Translations. This edition shows a parallel translation from Spanish to English on each page. Carlos Fraticelli used the poetic form known as decima, popular in Puerto Rico. It is a 10-liner with 8 syllables per line and no punctuation. In Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America, the decima is often sung and improvised. We added minimal punctuation to the English translations for ease of understanding. The poetry is organized in seven sections and framed by background information in the prologue and notes from the poet in the epilogue. This book of translations was conceived for readers with limited or no Spanish, or readers with limited or no English. We hope it provides specific evidence of the talent, skill, perspective, and intelligence of Carlos Fraticelli as a poet. Written almost a hundred years ago, his poems are reflections on several generic themes, including nature, love, identity, ethnic heritage, lament and exile. It is my fervent hope that readers, especially descendants of Carlos Fraticelli, will be sensitized to the positive impact that these poems can have on the development of empathy and a sense of kinship with the poet and other Puerto Rican emigrants to Hawaii in the beginning of the 20th century. With appreciation, Benjamin Fraticelli
