José María Heredia Y Heredia
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José María Heredia y Heredia, also known as José María Heredia y Campuzano (December 31, 1803 – May 7, 1839) was a
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
n-born poet considered by many to be the first romantic poet of the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
and the initiator of Latin American romanticism. More recently, this view has been qualified, highlighting Heredia's roots in
Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...
and the aesthetics of eighteenth-century
Sensibility Sensibility refers to an acute perception of or responsiveness toward something, such as the emotions of another. This concept emerged in eighteenth-century Britain, and was closely associated with studies of sense perception as the means thro ...
. He is known as "El Cantor del Niagara" and regarded as one of the most important poets in the Spanish language. He has also been named National Poet of Cuba. Heredia studied at the
University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...
, and received a law degree in 1823. In the autumn of 1823 he was arrested on a charge of conspiracy against the Spanish government for participating in pro-independence activities against the Spanish authorities, and was sentenced to banishment for life. To avoid the sentence, Heredia fled to the United States and spent two years in New York City when he was 19. He then took refuge in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
in 1825. For a few months he was one of the editors of the literary magazine ''
El Iris ''El Iris'' was a short-lived periodical that was published between February and August 1826 in the newly independent Republic of Mexico. It was founded as an illustrated literary review, with topics of interest to women. It included articles on po ...
''. He became naturalized as a citizen of Mexico and obtained a post as magistrate. Many of his earlier pieces are merely clever translations from French, English and Italian; but his originality is placed beyond doubt by such poems as the ''Himno del desterrado'', the epistle to Emilia, ''Desengaños'', and the celebrated ode t
''Niágara''
One of his most celebrated poems was called "En El Teocalli de Cholula," which explores the universality of nature and immense beauty of indigenous ruins. In common with a number of Spanish and Latin American Romantics, his intellectual formation was in Neoclassicism, and indeed his poetry is notable for its perfection of form as well as (often) the sincerity and depth of his feelings. Heredia published a first edition of his poems (''Poesías'') during his stay in New York, in 1825, to great acclaim both in the Americas and in Western Europe.
Andrés Bello Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López (; November 29, 1781 – October 15, 1865) was a Venezuelan Humanism, humanist, diplomat, poet, legislator, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute a ...
(from his exile in London) and
Alberto Lista Alberto Rodríguez de Lista y Aragón (October 15, 1775October 5, 1848), Spanish poet and educationalist, was born in Seville. Biography He began teaching at the age of fifteen, and when little over twenty was made professor of elocution and poe ...
(from Spain) acknowledged the precociousness of Heredia, praising the originality and freshness of his poetry. A significantly expanded second collection, that included revised versions of many of the poems found in the earlier edition, saw the light in
Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...
in 1832, also published by Heredia himself. In 1836 he obtained permission to visit Cuba for two months to reunite with his mother. Disappointed in his political ambitions, and broken in health, Heredia returned to Mexico in January 1837, and died in Mexico City on 7 May 1839.


Childhood

José María Heredia was born in Santiago de Cuba on December 31, 1803, to parents José Francisco Heredia Mieses and Mercedes Heredia Campuzano-Polanco natives of
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
. As a young boy in Cuba, he learned how to read and write Latin and Greek and translated famous works such as Homer, Horace, and other classical authors and texts. He spent the majority of his upbringing in Santo Domingo for his family moved there when he was still a small child. His father was appointed Magistrate at the Court of Caracas, and the family moved to Venezuela because of his job.


Middle years

He returned to Cuba from Venezuela in 1818 and then registered at the University of Havana at the young age of 14. He did not stay at the University of Havana long; he continued his career the following year in Mexico. The death of his father, José Francisco Heredia, in 1820 caused his son José María to return to Cuba the following year from Mexico.


Heredia in the United States

Heredia's time in the United States lasted from December 4, 1823, until August 22, 1825. The reason his time living in the United States was cut short was because he was extended a personal invitation from
Guadalupe Victoria Guadalupe Victoria (; 29 September 178621 March 1843), born José Miguel Ramón Adaucto Fernández y Félix, was a Mexican general and politician who fought for independence against the Spanish Empire in the Mexican War of Independence and afte ...
, the president of Mexico at the time, for a permanent residency in Mexico. As a "youth of twenty with an abhorrence for English," he traveled between cities: Boston, New York, New Haven, Philadelphia. While in these cities, he lived in boarding homes with fellow Cuban exiles or tourists. Among the Cubans Heredia encountered, they were "restless to leave the United States for any Spanish-speaking territory not under Spanish Rule." Even though he did not manage to pierce the literary spheres of North America (at the time), his two years spent in exile in the United States are increasingly critical with regard to his major works. His love for liberty grew as he discovered in his travels here the rewarding activity of free men; as he learned to read in English and imitate the prose of his US-American literary counterparts. Also, the nature found throughout North America, especially
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
, played a huge role in his most influential and famous works. His time spent in exile in the United States aided in forming a community of readers that also experienced the same thing.


Romanticism

José María Heredia spent many years in exile in the United States and Mexico, away from his homeland, Cuba. Many of his poems, for he was a prominent poet, reflect a mixture of
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...
sensuality and dreamy melancholy, which are often inspired by his homesickness. The force and beauty of nature and the focus on individuality emerges strongly in his poems. Latin American Romanticism contains many qualities, all of which can be found in Heredia's most popular poems. It has been said that "if the United States had
Walt Whitman Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incor ...
and
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
, Latin America had the Cuban poet Heredia" in regards to the prominence and literary importance of his poetry. Being compared to the great
orth Orth can refer to: Places * Orth, Minnesota, an unincorporated community in Nore Township, Minnesota, United States * Orth an der Donau, a town in Gänserndorf, Lower Austria, Austria * Orth House, a historic house in Winnetka, Illinois, United ...
American writers of the Romantic Movement shows who his work was characterized by the stylings of romanticism. His Romanticism is that of the search and longing for freedom, both political and literary. To this extent, his poetry comes directly from his life.


Important works

"En el Teocalli de Cholula" ("On the Teocalli of Cholula" in English) and "Niagara" are his most important poems. His poetry lasts both because of the subject matter and for the intensely personal feeling in the works. Nature is clearly depicted in the fashion of the Romantic Era and mirrors his spiritual and emotional states. Nature acts as his freedom. In these poems, the poet praises the natural beauty of both Americas. The most prominent Romantic feature in Heredia is the ever-present involvement of his life in his poetry as well as the dark notes of death, melancholy and gloominess that pervade his writings.


"On the Teocalli of Cholula"

Heredia's fascination with the Aztec Ruins is immensely contingent with the thematics of Romanticism. Representative of the ghostly past, it calls forth a feeling of death and mystery of the Romantic Era. Written after the death of his father in Mexico, a lyrical voice experiences the melancholy of watching the sunset over the fields of the valley of Anahuac, and after, reflecting on the disappearance of the pyramid builders and how the times have changed.


"Niagara"

Niagara Falls was easily made accessible to the public thanks to the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825. Its existence attracted national and foreign romantics to witness in awe this spectacle of the forces of nature. Heredia stood in great wonder and "projected his anguished sentiments into its powerful flow and fall and swirl." The "Niágara" was originally published in Heredia's first collection, entitled ''Poesías,'' published in New York, 1825. The theme of a fissure or split in the relationship between subject and object appears in "Niágara" to coincide with his feelings of split or torn between countries.


Editions

With the exception of a few isolated poems, Heredia's work has not been translated into English. Among the many Spanish-language editions stands out the critical edition of Heredia's poetry, by Tilmann Altenberg, ''Poesías completas de José María Heredia'' (Madrid/Frankfurt: Iberoamericana/Vervuert, 2020).


References


External links

* * * Various versions in English and Spanish of the poem "Niagara" by José Maria Heredia y Heredia on th
Niagara Falls Poetry Project
(including a translation o
"Niagara"
attributed to
William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...
) {{DEFAULTSORT:Heredia y Campuzano 1803 births 1839 deaths 19th-century Cuban poets 19th-century Mexican poets Cuban male poets People from Santiago de Cuba 19th-century male writers Cuban Freemasons