The present article reflects on the allegorical becoming of the "ruin" and the spaces of representation in the poetry of Ximena Rivera & Oacute; rdenes (1959-2013). This concept evidences the ruinous character Barrio Puerto in the City of Valparaiso (Chile), and the "ruin" as the referent for his poetic voice configuration, that prevails on his lyrical discourse. From this perspective, it is intended to attend to the criti-cal horizon that Rivera's poetry sets up regarding the complex relationship between subject and city.