Ricardo Güiraldes (13 February 1886 — 8 October 1927)
[Escuela Normal Superior de Chascomús] was an
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...
novelist and poet, one of the most significant
Argentine writers
This is a list of Argentine literary figures, including poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars.
A
*Diego Abad de Santillán (1897–1983)
* Marcos Aguinis (born 1935)
*César Aira (born 1949)
* Andrés J. d'Alessio (1940� ...
of his era, particularly known for his 1926 novel ''
Don Segundo Sombra
''Don Segundo Sombra'' is a 1926 novel by Argentine rancher Ricardo Güiraldes. Like José Hernández's poem ''Martín Fierro'', its protagonist is a gaucho. However, unlike Hernandez's poem, ''Don Segundo Sombra'' does not romanticize the figu ...
'', set amongst the
gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
s.
Life
Güiraldes was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, the second son of a wealthy family of the old landowning aristocracy. His mother was Dolores Goñi, descendant of Ruiz de Arellano, who founded the village of
San Antonio de Areco
San Antonio de Areco is a city in northern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and administrative seat of the partido of San Antonio de Areco. It is located on the Areco River away from Buenos Aires city, the country's capital.
San Antonio de A ...
in 1730. Manuel Güiraldes, his father, later ''intendente'' (governmentally appointed mayor) of Buenos Aires,
[ was a cultured, educated man, interested in art. Ricardo inherited that predilection; in his youth he sketched rural scenes and painted in oils.
When Güiraldes was one year old, he travelled with his family to Europe, living for four years in Paris near the Rue Saint-Claude. By the age of six, he spoke not only Spanish but French and German. Indeed, French was his first language, and French-language literature would leave a strong mark on his literary style and tastes.][Todo-Argentina.net][de Onís, 1966, p. 217.]
Güiraldes's childhood and youth were divided between the family ranch, La Porteña in San Antonio de Areco, and Buenos Aires.[ In San Antonio he came into contact with the world of the ]gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
s, which would figure prominently in his novels '' Raucho'' and ''Don Segundo Sombra
''Don Segundo Sombra'' is a 1926 novel by Argentine rancher Ricardo Güiraldes. Like José Hernández's poem ''Martín Fierro'', its protagonist is a gaucho. However, unlike Hernandez's poem, ''Don Segundo Sombra'' does not romanticize the figu ...
''; there, too, he met Segundo Ramírez, upon whom he based the title character of the latter work. He loved the country life, but suffered from asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
that sometimes limited his own physical activity, though he generally presented an image of physical vigor.[
He was educated by several female teachers and, later, by a ]Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
engineer, Lorenzo Ceballos,[ who recognized and encouraged his literary ambitions. He studied in various institutes and completed his '']bachillerato
The Spanish Baccalaureate ( es, Bachillerato) is the post-16 stage of education in Spain, comparable to the A Levels/Higher (Scottish) in the UK, the French Baccalaureate in France or the International Baccalaureate. It follows the ESO (compulso ...
'' at the age of 16. Güiraldes was not a brilliant student; at the Colegio Lacordaire
Colegio Lacordaire is a school in Cali, Colombia that was established in 1956 by the Dominicans. It currently has offerings from infancy through grade eleven, with special emphasis on English language to prepare students to study abroad.
History ...
, the Vertiz Institute and the Instituto Libre de Segunda Enseñanza
The Instituto Libre de Segunda Enseñanza is a high school that depends on the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). It has approximately 1000 students, and it is located in Libertad 555 street, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
As it is aff ...
,[ he studied both ]architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
and law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
, but never practiced either one.[ He did make several attempts at business, all unsuccessful. He traveled to Europe in 1910 in the company of his friend Roberto Leviller, then travelled with another friend, his future brother-in-law Adán Deihl, with whom he visited Italy, ]Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
, Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
, Japan, China, Russia, India, Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and Germany before settling in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, where (after his father decided he had had enough of paying the costs of his son's idleness) he stayed with the sculptor (to whom he later dedicated ''Xaimaca''), and where he decided to become a writer.[
Despite that decision, Güiraldes threw himself into the French capital's social whirl, practically abandoning his literary ambitions. But one day he unpacked some draft stories he had written about rural Argentina and set to work; these would eventually become his ''Cuentos de muerte y de sangre'' ("Stories of death and of blood").
He read the stories to friends, who encouraged him to publish them. Even the early drafts already showed a distinct, individual style.
Finally truly committed to literature, he returned to ]Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in 1912, becoming part of the circle of Alejandro Bustillo
Alejandro Bustillo (18 March 1889 – 3 November 1982) was an Argentine painter and architect who left his mark in various tourist destinations in Argentina, especially in the Andean region of the Patagonia.
Biography
Born in Buenos Aires, so ...
. On October 13, 1913 he married Adelina del Carril, also from one of the city's leading families, whom he had first met in 1905.[ In 1913–1914, he published several stories in the magazine ''Caras y Caretas''; in 1915, these and others were published as ''Cuentos de muerte y de sangre''; earlier that year he had published a book of poetry, ''El cencerro de cristal''. He was encouraged in his writing by his wife and by ]Leopoldo Lugones
Leopoldo Antonio Lugones Argüello (13 June 1874 – 18 February 1938) was an Argentine poet, essayist, novelist, playwright, historian, professor, translator, biographer, philologist, theologian, diplomat, politician and journalist. His poetic ...
,[ but when these early works did not meet with a receptive public, Güiraldes withdrew them from circulation, gathered up the unsold copies, and threw them into a well.][ His wife managed to rescue some; these surviving, water-damaged copies are now prized by book collectors.
At the end of 1916, the couple traveled to the ]Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...
, to Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
, and to Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
, where he wrote a "theatrical caprice" called ''El reloj'' ("The clock", never published). These travels would eventually lead to his 1923 novel ''Xaimaca'', but long before that, in 1917, came his first novel ''Raucho'', followed in 1918 by a short novel ''Un idilio de estación'' ("A Season's Idyll") in Horacio Quiroga
Horacio Silvestre Quiroga Forteza (31 December 1878 – 19 February 1937) was a Uruguayan playwright, poet, and short story writer.
He wrote stories which, in their jungle settings, used the supernatural and the bizarre to show the struggle of m ...
's magazine ''El cuento ilustrado''; this would eventually be revised and published as a well-received book in 1922, with the new title ''Rosaura''.[
In 1919, with his wife, Güiraldes again traveled to Europe. In ]Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
he established contact with many French writers and frequented literary salons and bookstores; there, too, he began ''Don Segundo Sombra''.[ He has been described as particularly influenced by his friend ]Valéry Larbaud
Valery Larbaud (29 August 1881 – 2 February 1957) was a French writer and poet.
Life
He was born in Vichy, the only child of a pharmacist. His father died when he was 8, and he was brought up by his mother and aunt. His father had been owne ...
, but Güiraldes's English-language translator Harriet de Onís believes that influence to have been overstated.[de Onís, 1966, p. 218.] Güiraldes returned to Argentina, then went back to Europe in 1922, where besides returning to Paris he passed some time in Puerto de Pollensa, Majorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...
, where he rented a house.
In this period he underwent an intellectual and spiritual change. He became interested in theosophy
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...
and Eastern philosophy
Eastern philosophy or Asian philosophy includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philosophy; which are dominant in East Asia ...
, seeking spiritual peace; this is strongly reflected in his late poetry.
At the same time, Güiraldes's writing became more accepted in his native Buenos Aires, where he became a supporter of new avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
writers; he was something of an elder and teacher to the Florida group
The Florida group"The Florida Group" (text in Spanish) by: de Lama, Víctor (1993). ''Antología de la poesía amorosa española e hispanoamericana'' (14a. edición). Madrid: Editorial EDAF. . ( Sp.: ''grupo Florida'') was an ''avant-garde'' litera ...
. In 1924, along with Alfredo Brandán Caraffa (1898-1978), Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...
, and Pablo Rojas Paz he founded the short-lived magazine ''Proa
Proas are various types of multi-hull outrigger sailboats of the Austronesian peoples. The terms were used for native Austronesian ships in European records during the Colonial era indiscriminately, and thus can confusingly refer to the ...
'', which was not particularly successful in its home city but met with a better reception elsewhere in Latin America. Güiraldes also co-founded the ''Frente Ứnico'', opposed to ''pompierismo'' (the use of dry or pompous academic language in writing), and collaborated in the publication of the magazine ''Martín Fierro
''Martín Fierro'', also known as ''El Gaucho Martín Fierro'', is a 2,316-line epic poem by the Argentine writer José Hernández. The poem was originally published in two parts, ''El Gaucho Martín Fierro'' (1872) and ''La Vuelta de Martín Fi ...
''.[
After closing down the magazine, Güiraldes focused on finishing '']Don Segundo Sombra
''Don Segundo Sombra'' is a 1926 novel by Argentine rancher Ricardo Güiraldes. Like José Hernández's poem ''Martín Fierro'', its protagonist is a gaucho. However, unlike Hernandez's poem, ''Don Segundo Sombra'' does not romanticize the figu ...
'', which he completed in March 1926.[
In 1927, intending to head back to India because of his increasing interest in ]Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
, Güiraldes traveled once more to France.[ He went first to ]Arcachon
Arcachon ( ; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for i ...
, but it developed that he was sick with Hodgkin's disease
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition ...
. He was brought to Paris by ambulance, was met there by his wife,[ and died in the house of his friend, the painter Alfredo González Garaño (1886-1969).][Galliani.] Güiraldes's body was brought back to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
and finally entombed in San Antonio de Areco.[
His nephew was the president of ]Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas, formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and the country flag carrier. The airline was created in 1949 from the merger of four companies and started operations in . A consortium led by Iberia ...
, Juan José Güiraldes
Air Commodore Juan Jose Guiraldes (January 17, 1917 – September 18, 2003) was an Argentine writer, pilot, news reporter, thinker and airline company president. He was, for a short period during the 1950's, the president of Argentina's flag airli ...
.
Works
Each year links to its corresponding " earin literature" or " earin poetry" article:
* 1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
* January ...
: ''El cencerro de cristal'' (poetry)[Beilharz]
* 1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
* January ...
: ''Cuentos de muerte y sangre'' (short stories)[
* ''Aventuras grotescas'' (short stories)
* ''Trilogía cristiana'' (short stories)
* ]1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...
: ''Raucho'' (novel)[de Onís, 1966, p. 219.]
* 1917
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...
: ''Un idilio de estación'', later revised as ''Rosaura'' (1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
), published in ''Rosaura y siete cuentos''. Short novel.
* 1923
Events
January–February
* January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory).
* January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...
: ''Xaimaca'' (fictionalized travel story).[
* ]1926
Events January
* January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece.
* January 8
**Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...
: ''Don Segundo Sombra
''Don Segundo Sombra'' is a 1926 novel by Argentine rancher Ricardo Güiraldes. Like José Hernández's poem ''Martín Fierro'', its protagonist is a gaucho. However, unlike Hernandez's poem, ''Don Segundo Sombra'' does not romanticize the figu ...
'' (novel)[
* ]1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
: ''Poemas místicos'' (posthumously published, poems)[
* ]1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
: ''Poemas solitarios'' (posthumously published poems)[
* ]1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
: ''Seis relatos'' (posthumously published short stories)[
* ]1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hir ...
: ''El sendero'' (posthumously published)
* 1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
: ''El libro bravo'' (posthumously published poems)[
* ]1954
Events
January
* January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany.
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
: ''Pampa'' (posthumously published)[
* ]1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
: ''El pájaro blanco'' (poem)
Further reading
*J.P. Spicer-Escalante, Ricardo Güiraldes’s Américas: Reappropriation and Reacculturation in ''Xaimaca'' (1923). ''Studies in Travel Writing'' 7.1: 9-28.
*J.P. Spicer, ''Don Segundo Sombra'': en busca del otro. ''Revista de Crítica Literaria Latinoamericana'' 38.2: 361-73.
*Ricardo Güiraldes and Don Segundo Sombra; life and works / Giovanni Previtali, 1963
*Language, humor, and myth in the frontier novels of the Americas : Wister, Güiraldes, and Amado / Nina M Scott, 1983
*Martín Fierro, Don Segundo Sombra, ambassadors of the New World / Edward Larocque Tinker, 1958
*Ricardo Güiraldes : argentino (1886-1927) / Harry Weiss, 1955
References
* Harriet de Onís, afterword (p. 215–222) to her 1935 translation of ''Don Segundo Sombra''; Signet, 1966.
* Accessed 13 September 2006.
* Johannes Beilharz
Ricardo Güiraldes
on jbeilharz.de. Undated. Accessed 14 September 2006.
*
undated, o
Todo-Argentina.net
Accessed 14 September 2006.
*
Part o
La Literatura en Argentina
Escuela Normal Superior de Chascomús; site dated 1997. Accessed 14 September 2006.
* Carlos Galliani
undated, on the official site of the city of Saladillo
Saladillo may refer to:
*Saladillo, Buenos Aires, a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
* Saladillo, Córdoba, a municipality in San Luis Province in Argentina
* Saladillo, San Luis, a municipality in San Luis Province in central Argentina
*Sa ...
, Argentina. Accessed 28 February 2007.
External links
*
*
Ricardo Güiraldes works online
on Portal Academia Argentina de Letras
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guiraldes, Ricardo
1886 births
1927 deaths
20th-century Argentine novelists
20th-century Argentine poets
20th-century Argentine male writers
Argentine male novelists
Argentine male poets
Argentine writers in French
Argentine writers in German
People from Buenos Aires
Deaths from cancer in France
Deaths from Hodgkin lymphoma