New Roads

Num.2 Year 1

June 1906

Jose de Maturana-Director

Art --- Criticism --- Social Studies

Ibsenian Epistle

(Letters to Brandés)

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Letter I

Dresde, June 26, 1869

I have undergone a true lightening when receiving your letter. I feared, indeed, being considered ungrateful by you, since I had not spoken with you again after cheering me up like no one ever has. Nevertheless I am ungrateful swine.

The essential thing is not to be glorified, but to be understood. If I hadn't written you before its because in my mind my reply has taken the proportions of a great aesthetic dissertation, starting with the question: What is poetry? You will understand that it would've been too long, and that the mater would be dealt with better in person.

Brand has been badly judged, at least regarding the intention I have put in him. (One can object to this statement, certainly, that criticism has no reason to take over the intention). The mistake, of course, comes from Brand being a priest, and that the drama, in fact, is within the religious dominion. These two points are not important. I would have been able to unravel the same syllogism, making the portagonist either a sculptor or a politician. My creative fever would have also weakened if, instead of Brand, I would have chosen the figure of Galileo,-naturally