Julio Herrera y Reissig
Encyclopedia
Julio Herrera y Reissig, (January 9, 1875 - March 18, 1910) was a Uruguay
an poet
, playwright
and essayist, who began his career during the late Romanticist
period and later became an early proponent of Modernism
.
, who would go on to become president of Uruguay. Julio Herrera y Reissig was born in Montevideo
into a wealthy patrician family with connections to the social and cultural scene.
, he remained confined to Montevideo and the Uruguay
an interior, including Castillo Piriá, near Piriápolis
, where a plaque was unveiled in 1957 commemorating his residence there.
.
There, he underwent a transformation from Romanticist to avant-garde Modernist and Surrealist
, earning himself posthumous recognition as a major figure in the development of 20th century Latin American poetry, alongside Leopoldo Lugones
, Ricardo Jaimes Freyre
, and Salvador Díaz Mirón
.
marvelled at his achievement:
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and essayist, who began his career during the late Romanticist
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
period and later became an early proponent of Modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
.
Background
He was the son of Dr. Manuel Herrera y Obes and nephew of government minister Dr. Julio Herrera y ObesJulio Herrera y Obes
Julio Herrera y Obes , was a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:Herrera y Obes belonged to the Colorado Party....
, who would go on to become president of Uruguay. Julio Herrera y Reissig was born in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
into a wealthy patrician family with connections to the social and cultural scene.
Health and travel
His only material limitation was his precarious health. In 1892, at age seventeen, a congenital heart defect, aggravated by typhoid fever, forced him to abandon his studies. Nor was he able to travel any great distance, and apart from a visit to Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, he remained confined to Montevideo and the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an interior, including Castillo Piriá, near Piriápolis
Piriápolis
Piriápolis is a city in the Maldonado Department of Uruguay. It is located on the coast of Río de la Plata, on Route 10 and its intersection with Route 37. It is about east of the national capital, Montevideo . Piriápolis is an important summer resort in the country, predating the larger and more...
, where a plaque was unveiled in 1957 commemorating his residence there.
Writings
He relieved his boredom by becoming an avid reader, and beginning in 1900, he began holding literary gatherings at his family mansion, in the penthouse nicknamed La Torre de los Panoramas for its spectacular views of the Río de la PlataRío de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
.
There, he underwent a transformation from Romanticist to avant-garde Modernist and Surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, earning himself posthumous recognition as a major figure in the development of 20th century Latin American poetry, alongside Leopoldo Lugones
Leopoldo Lugones
Leopoldo Lugones Argüello was an Argentine writer and journalist.-Early life:Born in Villa de María del Río Seco, a city in Córdoba Province, in Argentina's Catholic heartland, Lugones belonged to a family of landed gentry...
, Ricardo Jaimes Freyre
Ricardo Jaimes Freyre
Ricardo Jaimes Freyre was a Peruvian-born Bolivian poet.-Background and early years:Born in Tacna, Peru on May 12, 1868, his Symbolist-influenced verse, which frequently took advantage of free verse forms, was important in the development of Latin American modernism.Freyre spent much of his time...
, and Salvador Díaz Mirón
Salvador Díaz Mirón
Salvador Díaz Mirón was a Mexican poet. He was born in the port city of Veracruz. His early verse, written in a passionate, romantic style, was influenced by Lord Byron and Victor Hugo. His later verse was more classical in mode. His poem, A Gloria, was influential...
.
Death
He died in Montevideo at the age of 35, a few years before the publication of his works drew widespread praise from the literary community. The Uruguayan writer Ángel RamaÁngel Rama
Ángel Rama was a Uruguayan writer, academic, and literary critic, known for his work on modernismo and for his theorization of the concept of "transculturation."-Biography:...
marvelled at his achievement:
Works
Herrera y Reissig wrote fiction, political essays, and many other works, but his reputation rests on his poetry.- Canto a Lamartine (1898)
- Epílogo wagneriano a "La política de fusión" con surtidos de psicología sobre el Imperio de Zapicán (1902)
- Las pascuas del tiempo (1902)
- Los maitines de la noche (1902)
- La vida (1903)
- Los parques abandonados (1902–1908)
- Los éxtasis de la montaña (1904–1907)
- Sonetos vascos (1908)
- Las clepsidras (1909)
- La torre de las esfinges (1909)
- Los peregrinos de piedra (1909)
- Tratado de la imbecilidad del país por el sistema de Herbert Spencer [Transcribed and published by Aldo Mazzucchelli] (2006)