BARTOLOME. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This scene from Longfellow's verse play *The Spanish Student* is intense.
The poem
Cruz. And so, Bartolome, the expedition failed. But where wast thou for the most part? Bart. In the Guadarrama mountains, near San Ildefonso. Cruz. And thou bringest nothing back with thee? Didst thou rob no one? Bart. There was no one to rob, save a party of students from Segovia, who looked as if they would rob us; and a jolly little friar, who had nothing in his pockets but a missal and a loaf of bread. Cruz. Pray, then, what brings thee back to Madrid? Bart. First tell me what keeps thee here? Cruz. Preciosa. Bart. And she brings me back. Hast thou forgotten thy promise? Cruz. The two years are not passed yet. Wait patiently. The girl shall be thine. Bart. I hear she has a Busne lover. Cruz. That is nothing. Bart. I do not like it. I hate him,--the son of a Busne harlot. He goes in and out, and speaks with her alone, and I must stand aside, and wait his pleasure. Cruz. Be patient, I say. Thou shalt have thy revenge. When the time comes, thou shalt waylay him. Bart. Meanwhile, show me her house. Cruz. Come this way. But thou wilt not find her. She dances at the play to-night. Bart. No matter. Show me the house. [Exeunt. SCENE VIII. -- The Theatre. The orchestra plays the cachucha. Sound of castanets behind the scenes. The curtain rises, and discovers PRECIOSA in the attitude of commencing the dance. The cachucha. Tumult; hisses; cries of "Brava!" and "Afuera!" She falters and pauses. The music stops. General confusion. PRECIOSA faints. SCENE IX. -- The COUNT OF LARA'S chambers. LARA and his friends at supper. Lara. So, Caballeros, once more many thanks! You have stood by me bravely in this matter. Pray fill your glasses. Don J. Did you mark, Don Luis, How pale she looked, when first the noise began, And then stood still, with her large eyes dilated! Her nostrils spread! her lips apart! Her bosom Tumultuous as the sea! Don L. I pitied her. Lara. Her pride is humbled; and this very night I mean to visit her. Don J. Will you serenade her? Lara. No music! no more music! Don L. Why not music? It softens many hearts. Lara. Not in the humor She now is in. Music would madden her. Don J. Try golden cymbals. Don L. Yes, try Don Dinero; A mighty wooer is your Don Dinero. Lara. To tell the truth, then, I have bribed her maid. But, Caballeros, you dislike this wine. A bumper and away; for the night wears. A health to Preciosa. (They rise and drink.) All. Preciosa. Lara. (holding up his glass). Thou bright and flaming minister of Love! Thou wonderful magician! who hast stolen My secret from me, and mid sighs of passion Caught from my lips, with red and fiery tongue, Her precious name! O nevermore henceforth Shall mortal lips press thine; and nevermore A mortal name be whispered in thine ear. Go! keep my secret! (Drinks and dashes the goblet down.) Don J. Ite! missa est! (Scene closes.) SCENE X. -- Street and garden wall. Night. Enter CRUZADO and
This scene from Longfellow's verse play *The Spanish Student* is intense. It centers on Bartolome, a jealous Romani man who has come back to Madrid to win over a young dancer named Preciosa. However, he discovers she's being pursued by a rival — the cunning Count of Lara. Recently, the Count has orchestrated a public humiliation for Preciosa at the theatre and is now planning to visit her privately after bribing her maid. The excerpt concludes with Lara raising a glass in a dramatic toast to Preciosa, only to shatter it, blending his obsession with a threatening undertone.
Line-by-line
Cruz. And so, Bartolome, the expedition failed. But where / wast thou for the most part?
Bart. I hear she has a Busne lover. / Cruz. That is nothing.
Cruz. Come this way. But thou wilt not find her. She dances / at the play to-night.
SCENE VIII. -- The Theatre. The orchestra plays the cachucha.
Lara. So, Caballeros, once more many thanks! / You have stood by me bravely in this matter.
Don J. Try golden cymbals. / Don L. Yes, try Don Dinero
Lara. Thou bright and flaming minister of Love! / Thou wonderful magician!
Tone & mood
The tone shifts throughout the excerpt in a way that feels intentional. The opening scenes between Bartolome and Cruzado are straightforward and conspiratorial, laced with a dry, almost morbid humor. Scene VIII transitions into near-silence, creating a tense and pitying atmosphere. The supper scene with Lara is particularly unsettling: it exudes the surface warmth of male camaraderie and good wine, but beneath that, it feels cold and predatory. Lara's final monologue veers into theatrical self-pity, which Longfellow immediately undermines with the smashed goblet. The overall impact is one of rising dread cloaked in social refinement.
Symbols & metaphors
- The cachucha (dance) — Preciosa's dance is not just her art; it's her livelihood and how she presents herself to the world. When the audience turns against her during the performance, that disruption symbolizes how society can quickly take away a woman's agency and dignity in a single, coordinated moment.
- The smashed goblet — Lara's dramatic shattering of his wine glass after the toast reflects his possessive and self-destructive passion. He claims the glass will "keep his secret" before smashing it — a glimpse into how he handles anything he professes to value.
- Don Dinero (Sir Money) — The playful idea of money as a suitor strips away any illusion of romance. It highlights the true currency of power: wealth grants access to women, pays off maids, and creates public embarrassment.
- The bribed maid — The maid embodies the betrayal of trust within the home. Preciosa's private world — her home, her sense of safety — is already under threat before Lara even steps foot inside. This indicates that there is no space that she can truly call her own.
- The Guadarrama mountains — The mountains where Bartolome has been hiding symbolize the untamed, chaotic edges of Spanish society where the Romani characters live. His return to Madrid marks a shift from that freedom into a realm filled with social competition and fixation.
Historical context
Longfellow published *The Spanish Student* in 1843 as a closet drama—a play meant for reading rather than performance—after working on it since his travels in Europe during the 1830s. His fascination with Spanish culture, especially Romani life and flamenco, grew during his time in Spain. The play's central character, Preciosa, a Romani dancer of mysterious origin, is inspired by Cervantes's novella *La Gitanilla* (The Little Gypsy Girl). The American context of the 1840s is significant as well; Longfellow was writing during a time when issues of race, class, and societal belonging were hotly debated. His compassionate depiction of Romani characters was quite rare for the time, even if seen through a Romantic lens. The cachucha, a stylish Spanish dance that had captivated European audiences in the 1830s, would have been instantly recognizable to contemporary readers.
FAQ
"Bartolome" isn't a standalone poem; it's a part of Longfellow's verse drama *The Spanish Student* (1843), which is a complete play crafted in both blank verse and prose. This excerpt encompasses scenes from Act I or II, showcasing various characters whose lives revolve around the dancer Preciosa.
Preciosa is a young Romani dancer who performs in Madrid. With her beauty, talent, and independence, she attracts men who seek to possess her instead of truly understanding her. Bartolome thinks Cruzado has promised her to him. The Count of Lara sees her as a prize to win. Unfortunately, her own desires are mostly overlooked by both of them.
"Busne" (sometimes spelled *busné*) is a Romani term for a non-Romani individual — an outsider or gadjo. Bartolome uses it derogatorily when talking about Preciosa's other suitor, expressing both ethnic disdain and personal jealousy.
Yes. Scene IX shows that Lara and his friends deliberately disrupted Preciosa's performance. He expresses gratitude for "standing by him bravely in this matter," and his intention to visit her right after — when she's feeling vulnerable — confirms that the riot was a cruel, calculated move aimed at breaking her spirit.
It’s a moment of theatrical self-dramatization. Lara has just delivered an elaborate speech, referring to the glass as a magical vessel bearing Preciosa's name. When he smashes it, he embodies the notion that his consuming passion destroys everything in its path. This act also hints at his destructive intentions toward Preciosa herself.
The cachucha is an energetic solo dance from Andalusia, accompanied by castanets, that gained immense popularity throughout Europe during the 1830s and 1840s. Longfellow's original audience would have been quite familiar with it. Its connection to passion and Spanish exoticism makes it an ideal choice for Preciosa's public performance — and her subsequent public humiliation.
More than many writers of his time, yes. Bartolome is both violent and possessive, but Longfellow presents him with genuine grievances and a relatable human jealousy. Cruzado comes off as shrewd instead of outright villainous. However, the play's strongest sympathy lies with Preciosa, who maneuvers through a world where both her own community and the Spanish aristocracy view her as mere property.
The primary source is *La Gitanilla* ("The Little Gypsy Girl"), a novella by Miguel de Cervantes that came out in 1613. Longfellow took the main character and setting but introduced new subplots and characters, like the Count of Lara and the student Victorian, who serves as Preciosa's romantic interest in another part of the play.