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Difficulty: MediumHistorical and Cultural Context

Read the following translated excerpt from the poem 'A Roosevelt' (1904) by the Nicaraguan writer Rubén Darío:

'You are an Alexander-Nebuchadnezzar, /
a professor of energy /
(as today’s rhetoricians say). /
You think that life is a fire, /
that progress is an eruption, /
that where you put your bullet /
you put the future. /
No. /
The United States is powerful and great. /
When it shudders, there is a deep earthquake /
that passes through the massive vertebrae of the Andes... /
But our America, which has had poets since the ancient times of Nezahualcoyotl... /
takes care, Roosevelt! You would need to be God Himself... /
to hold us in your iron claws.'

Which of the following historical developments in the early twentieth century best explains the political climate and Darío's warning to Theodore Roosevelt in this passage?

  1. The increasing military and political intervention of the United States in Latin America under the 'Big Stick' policy.Answer
  2. B
    The widespread military alliances formed between Latin American nations and European empires to counter northern expansion.
  3. C
    The rapid industrialization of Latin American economies that made them direct competitors with United States markets.
  4. D
    The resolution of territorial border disputes between Andean nations through diplomatic mediation by the United States.

Answer

The increasing military and political intervention of the United States in Latin America under the 'Big Stick' policy.
The correct answer is correct because the poem 'A Roosevelt' was written in response to the U.S. involvement in the separation of Panama from Colombia and the establishment of the Panama Canal Zone under Theodore Roosevelt's 'Big Stick' diplomacy. The passage warns Roosevelt that despite U.S. material and military power, Latin America has its own deep-rooted cultural and spiritual history that resists foreign domination.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical references and figures mentioned in the poem.
The poem is addressed to Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, references U.S. power shaking the Andes, and warns against 'iron claws.'
This establishes the core conflict as a geopolitical confrontation between U.S. power and Latin American sovereignty.
2
Connect the historical context of the early twentieth century to the U.S. president addressed.
Theodore Roosevelt's administration was defined by the 'Big Stick' policy and the Roosevelt Corollary, which asserted the right of the United States to intervene militarily in Latin American affairs.
This policy directly inspired Darío's poetic protest and his warning about U.S. force and intervention.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the historical context that fits best.
The option referring to the 'Big Stick' policy is the correct historical explanation for the text's warning.
It accurately reflects the specific U.S. foreign policy actions (such as in Panama and the Caribbean) that motivated the Modernista movement to defend Hispanic culture and sovereignty.

Key Concept

Analyzing literary works within their historical and geopolitical contexts, specifically Modernismo's response to early 20th-century U.S. expansionism.
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Topics

Historical and Cultural Context

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