Poetry, Art and Historical Memory: Fostering Dialogue about War

Abstract

Art, in its different manifestations, is one of the many ways in which human beings express themselves and reflect on how they construct meanings, not only about themselves but also about their historical, social, and cultural context. In the case of literature, these stories bring readers closer to realities and topics that are different from their own, which allows them to broaden their experience. The present study analyzes two poetic works that interpret, from different perspectives, the effects and consequences of some of the most terrible episodes of the twentieth century; namely, World War II and the dictatorships in Latin America. The conclusions highlight the relevance of this type of work for the development of critical thinking through art to keep track of and repair the wounds of historical memory.