Below are 3 of the 34 poems in the book Times of Warpublished by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Peru. These poems were originally written in prose by President Gonzalo as part of the Party's political documents, and were given a poetry form by a rank and file comrade named Rosa Murinache. The publication of the book in Spanish in 1987 showed the inclusion of revolutionary poetry in the New Art being forged in Peru; at the same time President Gonzalo has added to his undeniable standing as great political-military strategist, the status of poet. Other revolutionary leaders such as Mao Tsetung and Ho Chi Minh were also poets.
These poems are part of the literature of the people in Peru, which follows a different than bourgeois literature. It is for the common people in the cities and in the People's Committees in the countryside, who practice the new culture mostly in oral form. Gonzalo Thought holds that transforming the old culture means transforming the literature and the language; that is, a revolution in the comprehension of revolutionary works, which will contribute to the defeat of the enemy. In order to be understood by the masses, the poems of President Gonzalo are realistic, clear and simple. From the point of view of revolutionary literature as well as of the history of ideas in Peru, this book is very valuable, since the role of the People's War in Peru in the world proletarian revolution cannot longer be ignored.
In Party Organization and the People's Literature Lenin said he would touch on the matter of
Party literature, not of literature per se. He advocated that "ninety percent of literature, even
`legal literature' can be partisan literature" and that the "literary persons must without a doubt be
part of the Party's organization," thus Lenin trashed the bourgeois idea of "absolute freedom" in
literature because a writer would always be dependant on "his bourgeois editor and bourgeois
public." Therefore, the development of proletarian art is needed for the victory of the revolution.
Dedicated: To the fighters and the masses
who from the start of the
People's War in Peru, have
heroically given up their lives.
And to those who will never
hesitate to do so.
Let armed
actions
speak
it is a necessity,
urgent.
It is an imperative voice.
The class demands it
history demands it
the people demand it.
It is a necessity
What was done before
has brought us
up to here.
The path is defined
The actions established
Let us carry it out!
We
have
no other
right.
Comrades
our task
without arms
has concluded.
Our armed
words
begin
today.
We seal what has been done so far.
We open up the future;
actions are the key
Objective: Seize Power.
We will accomplish that,
history demands it.
The working class requires it.
We must carry it out.
And we will.
We are
the
initiators.
It shall be so comrades.
It shall be so.
The struggle will be hard
long
difficult
cruel
Let us steel the soul
be strong
vigorous
be not afraid
and be sure
of victory.
Firm and determined
we will begin
the Armed Struggle
we'll unfold it
and its banners
will cover our land
with outspoken deeds
that history
will record.
Comrades,
our people come
to take power
through arms
This we shall do!
We work for that
and will continue to work.
The people
the class
the proletariat
demand it.
We cannot
we will not
fail.