ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the frame of the poem, focusing first on the quartet of illustrations that accompanies the original 1932 publication (by Alicancia, Mexico) of Fábula—the toast with the chalice, the crescent moon and stars over water, the vihuela and songbook, and, finally, the bicycle with propellers on the pedals. These four illustrations provide details helpful to the understanding of each section of the poem, and they underscore the value Diego and his contemporaries placed on the dialogue among the arts. Fábula’s title is also studied as an encapsulation of the features of the poem that will be spelled out and developed throughout the rest of the work. Like the title of a musical score, which provides the reader with appropriate orientation into the mood and meaning of the piece, the title of Diego’s poem should be read carefully. To that end, the title’s first word, fábula, is examined; the question is explored why Diego chose to name this poem a fable, rather than a myth. Among the probable reasons is the convention of Diego’s day: the poetic form of the fable had become an object of interest for many members of the Generation of 1927.
