Ricardo Sánchez's first book, Canto y Grito mi Liberación (1971), stands out as a key work not only in the appearance of a major Chicano poet, but also in defining an important trend in the history of contemporary Chicano poetry. In this first book he defined movimiento poetry, which is characterized by the harmonious blending of aesthetic elements and social protest; in other words, by giving expression to the problems, longings, and aspirations of the Chicano people in aesthetically satisfying forms.His Chicanismo partakes of a philosophy based on the respect due to all human beings. In some of these essays, as well as in some of the poems, the poet reiterates that to be a Chicano one must act like a humane person, a theme that contributes to the book's permanent value.

His love of humanity is often overlooked because of the defiant nature of some of his statements. But if we read carefully, we discover that Ricardo is conscious not only of the hostility against Chicanos, but also of human values. Alongside this appreciation of those values, we find-in his poetry as well as in his prose essays-a powerful denunciation of the antagonistic attitudes he finds in some members of the majority culture, as well as an urgent message to his people to keep up the struggle until they attain their personal liberation, just as he has. It is precisely this theme of liberation that gives form to his book and defines its discourse.

The social aspects of Ricardo's early poetry are very well expressed in Canto y Grito, now a classic in Chicano literature. The aesthetic aspects are no less important: the appropriate blending of English and Spanish; the declamatory nature of his discourse; the use of images, symbols, and metaphors taken from barrio culture. These are the elements that help the poet to present forcefully his ideas and emotions.

In the prose essays, we find the best definitions of chicanismo, carnalismo, pachuquismo, and other aspects of the Chicano culture of el movimiento. And in the Preface he tells about all the problems he encountered in his hometown, El Paso, when trying to establish Míctla Publications and publish his book, and he asks the question: Why this book? The answer he gives us is as valid today as it was when he asked it twenty-four years ago. He says that the book is "a response to the growing menace of a dehumanizing society that is now worldwide, for conflicts and racism are rampant throughout the world," and that it is against "the madness of those who want to become masters" that he flings out his anger, that he therefore dedicates his book not only to La Causa, but also to all human beings. He finishes his Preface by conveying a message worthy of stressing: "If we fail to find meaningful areas of commonality, then we shall doom ourselves and turn to hate and total destruction." Thus we can see that Ricardo's concern is not only for Chicanos, but for humanity at large. As Philip Ortego says in the Introduction to the first edition, "One cannot help but conclude, as one reads Canto y Grito, that only one that has suffered the whip and scorn of life could emerge with so much concern for his fellow man."

The most striking formal characteristic of Canto y Grito is the use of prose and poetry in both English and Spanish. This mestizo structure lends itself well to the expression of the social and political ideas of the Chicano writer. There is also an echo of prehispanic poetry in the resonance given the book by the repetition in verse form of the images and concepts previously expressed in prose. This parallelism gives the book an added aesthetic dimension. A study of this process would without question illuminate Ricardo's creative process. Thematically, he is preoccupied with his own people, as we can see in the poem "In Exile," which can be considered as his literary manifesto, not too distant from that of Walt Whitman:

i write of my people-LA RAZA!-
with pride, love, and out of need ... for
     i am indelibly CHICANO.
to justice, freedom, and humanity.

Justice, freedom, humanity, the three words that give form to the poetry of this tormented yet outreaching poet. We must remain ever grateful to Washington State University Press for reprinting this Chicano classic.

Luis Leal
Goleta, California