use of preterito/imperfecto

Question

Hi all!
So, I am a song writer, both in English and in Spanish, and I like to push the limits of what can be done grammatically - while still maintaining a respectable degree of "correctness" - in both languages to find interesting or convenient rhymes. Clearly English is my first language (otherwise why would I be asking about Spanish grammar), so this site and your answers have been invaluable to me. Thanks for all your help!
My question today is weather or not I can use the preterite with the word "mientras", as in "......mientras soñé" I know this is not technically correct, that if something happened "while I was dreaming" that it should be "mientras soñaba", but "soñe" fits so well! I wont do it if it sounds utterly ignorant, though. Thanks again!

"whether or not" ;-) - 002067fe, Apr 2, 2011

Answer 1

The short answer is: yes, you can! There is no grammatical rule that stops you from using that tense with "mientras", and you will find this combination in the best written books in Spanish.

Remember that preterite presents the totality of the action from an external perspective, clearly indicating its boundaries. Something happened while something else happened, and then ended, and then we describe it in preterite.

I concur. - 002067fe, Apr 2, 2011

Answer 2

Using the preterite after mientras doesn't make sense to me, since you use mientras to state that something was ongoing and the preterite to state that it is a completed action. That said, music doesn't have to follow the rules of gramar or even use real words.

Answer 3

Why should Spanish be immune from being grammatically murdered in lyrics....hmmmm?

Let us remember "I can't get no Satisfaction..." an absolute shuddering experience for any English teacher of the era.

Kidding: interested in the answer too