TIME

This text is one in which time is not relevant since it is a description. But if we look into each phrase, or group of them, and how they are written, we realise that there are three different tenses depending on the aspect of the description. When the author is talking about physical or psychological aspects the sentences are in the present tense (some phrases have no verb: "a cool customer and no mistake"). And when talking about facts that occurred in his life the general use is the past tense. Finally,  there's a pair of sentences in which the future tense is employed: "he'll look down morosely at his body, flex his biceps..." , "but at the same time will jettison his dislike of talking about music..." 

So, based on the grammar tenses we can divide the text in two parts: One with no time, which is the description as such. And other temporal part, the past, when the referred events in the character's life took place.

About the external time (the time when the poem is written) it's obvious that the text is an actual one, because of the digital format. It was published in 2001.

Academic year 2008/2009
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Eva María Serra Albiñana
eseal@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de València Press