Our second set this afternoon is three songs by the Argentinian composer Carlos Guastavino. Though the words for each song were written by different poets, all three writers chose images of nature to depict human conditions or emotions. “El clavel del aire blanco” compares the person of a young girl to that of a white flower. The color white is often associated with purity, and here depicts the innocence of young womanhood. The text of “Bonita rama de sauce” blends figurative and literal storytelling. Again, our main character is that of a young woman, but this time compared to a willow tree, bending amidst the turmoils of love and sobbing like the leaves of this familiar tree. But the second verse seems to overturn this figurative speech, as the willow and other natural elements transform into the background of the love story for this woman and a man with a guitar. The blending of literal and figurative meaning offers many facets to the interpretation of this song. Flora or plant life becomes the focus for Francisco Silva, the poet of “La rosa y el sauce.” Like the animals of Caplet, the tree and the rose depict the tragedy of loss. Surprisingly, the loss is caused by a human instead of another plant, suggesting a hidden meaning of perhaps a love lost due to someone or something who is both different and opposed to the romantic couple.