Esperanza Zambrano (November 14, 1901 - June 4, 1992) was a Mexican poet. She was affiliated with several organizations including the

Pan American Union The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...

, publications of the Inter-American Commission of Women of the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...

, the

Mexican Legion of Honor The modern Mexican Legion of Honor (Spanish: ''Legión de Honor Mexicana'') is an order of merit awarded to soldiers, veterans, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the national defense, security, or sovereignty of Mexico. An ...

, as well as being the co-founder and president of the . Zambrano was the laureate of awards from Mexico, France, and the Dominican Republic.

Biography

María Esperanza Dolores Zambrano Sánchez was born on November 14, 1901, in

Dolores Hidalgo Dolores Hidalgo (; in full, Dolores Hidalgo Cuna de la Independencia Nacional, ) is the name of a city and the surrounding municipality in the north-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. It is located at , at an elevation of about a ...

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

, Mexico. the author of a short poetic work, which she released in limited editions. All of her work was characterized by the use of resources of

Modernismo ''Modernismo'' is a literary movement that took place primarily during the end of the nineteenth and early 20th century in the Spanish-speaking world, best exemplified by Rubén Darío, who is known as the father of ''modernismo''. The term ''m ...

origin, such as

Alexandrine Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French '' Ro ...

verse, the search for sonority, decadent sensuality, and experimentation in

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'', ; ) is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. ...

forms. Furthermore, her way of using

adjective An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...

s is reminiscent of

Ramón López Velarde Ramón López Velarde (June 15, 1888 – June 19, 1921) was a Mexican poet. His work was a reaction against French-influenced '' modernismo'' which, as an expression of a purely Mexican subject matter and emotional experience, is unique. He ach ...

's style. ''La inquietud joyante'', her first book, was a surprise in the Mexican poetry scene, as never before had a woman referred directly to her intimacy and her amorous desires. This line is continued by her next book, ''Los ritmos de los secretos'', although her feeling of intimacy is further accentuated. In ''Canciones del amor perfecto'' her lyrics become an exaltation of married love and the happiness that motherhood causes. With ''Retablos del Viejo Guanajuato'', she is interested in popular and regional poetry, while ''Fuga de estío'' marks her return to intimate poetry, although with a tone of serenity and resignation in the face of old age and heartbreak. She was an adviser and director of the

and of publications of the Inter-American Commission of Women of the

. She was a member of the

; as well as the co-founder and president of the Ateneo Mexicano de Mujeres. She obtained the ''

Ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes; and grew in scope so that by the early 17th century it comprised up to ...

'' award (1945) and the ''Medalla de Reconocimiento '' (1946), in France; the

Juan Pablo Duarte Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez (January 26, 1813 – July 15, 1876) was a Dominican military leader, writer, activist, and nationalist politician who was the foremost of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic and bears the title of Father ...

Award from the Dominican Republic; and the Medal of Merit from the Government of Guanajuato (1963). Zambrano died in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

on June 4, 1992.

Selected works

* ''La inquietud joyante'' * ''Los ritmos de los secretos'' * ''Canciones del amor perfecto'' * ''Retablos del Viejo Guanajuato'' * ''Fuga de estío''

References

External links

B&W photo, ca. 1925
CC BY-NC-ND, via mediateca.inah.gob.mx {{DEFAULTSORT:Zambrano, Esperanza 1901 births 1992 deaths 20th-century Mexican poets People from Dolores Hidalgo Mexican women poets National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni 20th-century Mexican writers 20th-century Mexican women writers Writers from Guanajuato