A jitanjáfora is a poetic manifestation created from words, or invented expressions that lack meaning, generally they are created from the musicality, and the sonority of the phonemes, taking on meaning and meaning within the poem.
The author of this type of literary composition was the Mexican writer and humanist Alfonso Reyes, who took the word of a poem by the Cuban poet Mariano Brull, where he amuses himself with sounds, inventing nonsense words. Example:
ala olalúnea alífera
alveolea
jitanjáfora liris salumba salífera."
Since then Reyes began to collect jitanjáforas and after editing some articles, he began to write letters from all over the world; jitanjáforas became so famous in the 1930s that the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) entered the term in its dictionary.
It is interesting to show that most of the expressions used in the jitanjáfora are associated with childhood; And although they are not exclusively for children, they tend to be liked by the little ones, precisely because of their musical aspect.
Basic characteristics of a jitanjáforas:
They are words that do not seek a useful purpose, since they play alone.
Humor is one of its most effective components.
They are created based on musicality, rhythm and auditory creativity. Being the loudness the most important element.
It has a playful musical aspect.
Here is a fragment of a jitanjanforas:
Original text
Carabanda of the school
carabanda cuela cuela.
With a watercolor smile
That taught even the teeth.
…
Carabanda from the plaza
carabanda passes by He
goes playing on the terraces
With popcorn.
By: Karina Echevarría
