Lorca denied ever writing about politics, yet "Gacela of the Dark Death" was written during an extremely turbulent time in Spanish history that lead to Lorca's own death. Research the political climate of the Spanish Republic. Do you think the poem has any political themes? Why was Lorca executed? What did various political figures think of his writings? Why was The Diván at Tamarit censored by Francisco Franco's government?

How do you think Lorca's homosexuality influenced his poetry? Read about why Lorca felt he needed to be secretive about his sexuality and consider how the public might have reacted to poems that dealt with his sexuality directly. How do readers and critics treat his homosexuality today? Do you notice any homosexual themes in "Gacela of the Dark Death"? Use lines from the poem to support your answer.

Lorca was an...