Nicolás Guillén

1902–1989
Born July 10, 1902 in the city of Camagüey, Nicolás Guillén is among Cuba’s most popular and significant
20th-century poets, a journalist and agent for social change, and a champion of Afro-Cuban people and
culture. He was awarded the Stalin Peace Prize in 1954 and the Cuban Order of Jose Marti by Fidel Castro in
1981. In 1983, he was the inaugural honoree of Cuba’s Natopnal Prize for Literature. Most notably, Guillén
was named National Poet of Cuba and appointed to the National Cuban Writer’s Union in 1961, serving as
president for more than 25 years.

Guillén read widely during his youth and worked as a typesetter to support his mother and five siblings
when his father, a journalist and liberal senator, was assassinated by government forces in 1917. His first
poems, discussing social problems he witnessed in his community, were published in the Camaguey Grafico
when the author was still in high school. Planning to become a journalist and politician like his father,
Guillén enrolled in the University of Havana in 1921 with plans to study law; he left school after one year to
begin working on his career as a poet and essayist.

Motivos de son (1930), Guillén’s first published collection of poetry was a revolutionarily realistic account
of Black life in Havana’s slums. “The collection's socially complex and critically compassionate monologues,”
writes Roberto Márquez in the Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, “brought unwonted,
strikingly new dimensions to the shades of exoticism more typical of the negrista movement then coming
into vogue.” His next collections, Sónogro cosongo (1931), West Indies Ltd. (1934), and Cantos para
soldados y sones para turistas (1937) reflect his growing commitment to his politics. His other major
collections include El son entero (1947), his several Elegías (1948-58), and La Paloma de vuelo popular
(1958), decry racial oppression and colonial practices. He spoke in favor of reform throughout his career
and, as a result, was arrested multiple times and exiled from Cuba during Fulgencio Batista’s regime in the
1950s. Guillen supported the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which became a central theme in his later
collections, such as Tengo (1964). A bilingual edition of his poems, Man-making Words: Selected Poems of
Nicolás Guillen, was published in 1975; another bilingual edition, Nueva poesia de amor: En algun sitio de
la primavera or New Love Poetry: In Springtime was posthumously published in 1994.

Toward the end of his life, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; Guillén died at age 87 on July 16,
1989. Richard Gott, writing for The Guardian of London, praised Guillén for creating "an atmosphere in
which black people as a whole become fully integrated into Cuban society."
Nicolas Guillen was a Cuban poet who actively engaged in the Negrismo literary movement with the
political activism of his time. His works had been largely translated by various scholars into English
language. His poems capture the issues of race, colonialism, violence, justice and black oppression. The
very theme of the poem “Fusil” institute a rifle or a gun intriguing a vivid image of violence or the response
towards the oppression learning to stand up for oneself.
Guillen’s poem “Fusil” is a powerful and thought-provoking piece that addresses the theme of violence and
oppression. The poem reflects on the impact of guns and warfare on society, particularly in the context of
the Cuban revolution. Guillen’s use of vivid imagery and strong language creates a sense of urgency and
raises important questions about the consequences of violence.
The poem ‘Fusil’ is a powerful poem that shows how to resist oppressive powers. It has been noted that
this poetry raises awareness of oppression. The poem is addressed to a fellow black brother and is written
in the voice of a black Cuban speaker. Speaking to his brother, the speaker advises him to be prepared to
defend his freedom and to pick up a firearm (a rifle) if necessary.
The speaker addresses to the fellow “black brother” to defend oneself from the oppression. The speaker
suggests to the other blacks that the “Fusil” is a rifle or a gun that is used to “shoot” or kill people and he
addresses them to use the same rifle or gun as a “weapon” to respond towards the oppression. Critically,
the only way to defend oneself from oppression is to use the same weapon wage against the oppressed.
The speaker is giving an advice to use the same rifle to respond towards any oppression or menaces
bestowed unto them. It gives a sense of extremist sentiment of the speaker towards the marginalised
communities.
The mention of “John Brown” and other non-blacks leaders shows the inspiration of black liberation from
slavery. John Brown is a historical figure who helped liberate slavery from United States. This gives insights
into the influence of Langston Hughes on Guillen’s works. The speaker simply suggests his black brothers to
remember these leaders who defended them by holding “fusil” in their hands.
In addition to this, Guillen addresses the historical context of the Afro-Cuban revolution and the struggles
faced by the Black community. The mention of John Brown, who was not Black but defended the cause of
freedom with a gun, highlights the idea of resistance against oppression. Guillen suggests that if one
doesn’t have a gun, they should find something, like a sledgehammer or a rock, to fight back and defend
themselves.

By emphasizing the need for self-defense and resistance, Guillen portrays the violence and oppression that
Afro-Cubans faced during that time. The poem sheds light on the harsh realities of racial inequality and the
fight for freedom. The poem also captures the spirit of resilience and determination in the face of adversity,
reflecting the Afro-Cuban revolution and the experiences of those who fought for their rights. Guillen’s
powerful imagery and strong language serve as a reminder of the ongoing struggle against oppression.