“Tengo fe en lo que creo”: Rafael Alberti on Rafael Alberti’s Poetic Stage

Abstract

This paper examines two texts written by Rafael Alberti in which the lyric self is named after the poet himself: the poem “¡El tonto de Rafael!” (1928), and the dramatic poem “El sexagenario” (1963-1965). Based on autofiction studies (Alberca, 2007), taken as a wide phenomenon, not only narrative but also found in poetry (Scarano, 2011; Leuci, 2015; Lucifora, 2013), we analyze the consequences of the poet’s decision of giving the lyric self his own name. The paper tries to demonstrate this autofiction tool in Alberti’s work is both ironic and critical, once it means a reflection on the literary art by someone who inquires, makes fun and recognizes himself as a creation. In the end, this mechanism questions the certainties literary representation usually assumes.