Abstract

The book, “Elphistone”, presents to the reader a fictional character rather than the real English Admiral Elphinstone, in a collection of poems by Blanca Andréu. In keeping with the concept of mirrors, one finds that Captain Elphistone reflects Andréu’s poetic vision most effectively through the paradigm of water. This analysis will be devoted to water imagery, beginning with Luso-Galician symbols, and the significance it has, both in Spanish and in Italian, for these two anthologies: “Elphistone” (1988) and “L’anno di poesia 1990/1991” [The Year of Poetry 1990/1991]. The moon converts Elphistone into a pirate who stands as an eternal reflection of the sea he once owned. The reflection of the moon on the water becomes the paradigm that creates this dual character, a mortal with immortal power. He personifies the struggle of the poet as she searches for clarity of her poetic vision and discovers a new poetic self.