Natalicio Talavera (1839–1867) was a Paraguayan poet and journalist. Talavera became known as one of the first post-independence Paraguayan poets. He died of disease while serving in the

Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...

, which he covered extensively.

Biography

Talavera was born in

Villarrica, Paraguay Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (), is a city in Paraguay. Located in the middle of the Oriental Region of the Paraguayan territory, it is the capital of the Guairá Department. It was founded by the Spanish Captain Ruy Diaz de Melgarejo on May 1 ...

on 8 September 1839. Born into a wealth family, he was educated in Villarrica and later in

Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...

. During the 1850s, he became a member of the "Aurora" movement (often described as a group or school), a collection of young Paraguayan philosophers and authors. Following the outbreak of the

in 1865, Talavera enlisted in the

Paraguayan army To win or to die , march= Marcha al Mariscal Lopez , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= War of the Triple AllianceChaco WarParaguayan People's Army insurgency , anniversaries= 24 of July (Mariscal Lopez Birthday) , decorations= , ba ...

. While serving in the army, he wrote reports of the war that came to be read by both sides of the conflict. In 1867, he started publishing an army newspaper catering to the Paraguayan army, hoping to raise morale. However, while encamped with the army near

Humaitá Humaitá is a town and ''distrito'' on the Paraguay River in southern Paraguay. During the Paraguayan War, it served as the main Paraguayan stronghold from 1866 until its fall in August 1868. During that time, it housed as many as 24,000 troops. ...

, Talavera contracted cholera and his health went into decline. He finished his last missive on 28 September before dying on 11 October 1867.

Legacy

Talavera's work is considered part of the Latin American romanticist movement, and he is noted in some sources as the main poet of Paraguayan Romanticism. He was posthumously awarded the National Order of Merit, and 11 October was declared Day of the Paraguayan Poet by the Paraguayan government in 1972. The town of

Natalicio Talavera Natalicio Talavera is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay. The town is named after 19th-century poet Natalicio Talavera (poet), Natalicio Talavera. The Tebicuarymí River runs near the town. Sources World Gazeteer: Paraguay– World ...

, founded in 1918, is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Talavera, Natalicio 1839 births 1867 deaths People from Villarrica, Paraguay Paraguayan people of Spanish descent Paraguayan poets Paraguayan journalists Paraguayan Army officers Paraguayan military personnel of the Paraguayan War