Gaucho Literature
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Gaucho literature, also known as gauchesco ("gauchoesque") genre was a literary movement purporting to use the language 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, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...
s, comparable to the American
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
, and reflecting their mentality. Although earlier works have been identified as gauchoesque, the movement particularly thrived from the 1870s to 1920s in Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil after which the movement petered out, although some works continued to be written. Gauchoesque works continue to be read and studied as a significant part of Argentine literary history.Henderson, Helene, and Jay P. Pederson, editors, ''Twentieth-Century Literary Movements Dictionary'', Detroit: Omnigraphics Inc., 2000 The movement arose as writers in those countries developed their understanding of their national identities. Three great poets in this trend were, José Hernández,
Estanislao del Campo Estanislao del Campo (February 7, 1834 – November 6, 1880) was an Argentine poet. Born in Buenos Aires to a unitarian family, he fought in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, defending Buenos Aires. He is best remembered for his 1866 satiri ...
and Hilario Ascasubi. The influence of
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
and a countrified language has always, to some extent, been felt in popular literature, as, for example, in the folk-flavoured
poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
of the
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an gauchoesque poet Bartolomé Hidalgo (
1788 Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...
1822). The influx on the soul which the gaucho exercises can be felt on the work of much later writers who loved the country scene of Argentina and Uruguay, such as Ricardo Güiraldes, Benito Lynch and
Enrique Amorim Enrique Amorim (July 25, 1900 – July 28, 1960) was an Uruguayan novelist and writer, best known for his story ''Las quitanderas'' whose plot centers on rural prostitution; also known for his left-wing politics. Biography Enrique Amorim was bo ...
. This is particularly true of even the most modern Uruguayan literature. With
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
's attempt to reproduce the dialect of
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
boys, slaves, "injuns", etc., gauchoesque literature actually aspires to use, to perpetuate what purports to be the actual language of the gauchos.


Significant works and authors of Gaucho literature

Each year links to its corresponding "
ear In vertebrates, an ear is the organ that enables hearing and (in mammals) body balance using the vestibular system. In humans, the ear is described as having three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear co ...
in literature" article, except for poetry, which links to its "
ear In vertebrates, an ear is the organ that enables hearing and (in mammals) body balance using the vestibular system. In humans, the ear is described as having three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear co ...
in poetry" article:


Poetry

* Hilario Ascasubi, ''Santos Vega o los Mellizos de la Flor'' (
1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion in China, one of the bloodiest revolts that would lead to 20 million deaths. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-d ...
) *
Estanislao del Campo Estanislao del Campo (February 7, 1834 – November 6, 1880) was an Argentine poet. Born in Buenos Aires to a unitarian family, he fought in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, defending Buenos Aires. He is best remembered for his 1866 satiri ...
, ''Fausto'' (
1866 Events January * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine '' The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman troops clash ...
) * Jose Hernandez, ''Martin Fierro'' (first part
1872 Events January * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. *January 20 – The Cavite mutiny was an uprising of Filipino military personnel of Fort S ...
, second part
1879 Events January * January 1 ** The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War. ** Brahms' Violin Concerto is premiered in Leipzig with Joseph Joachim ...
) * Rafael Obligado, ''Santos Vega'' (1885) *
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 ...
''Romances del rio Seco'', ''La guerra gaucha'' y otros * Delfina Benigna da Cunha


Novels

* Eduardo Gutiérrez, '' Juan Moreira'' (
1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...
) *
William Henry Hudson William Henry Hudson (4 August 1841 – 18 August 1922), known in Argentina as Guillermo Enrique Hudson, was an English Argentines, Anglo-Argentine author, natural history, naturalist and ornithology, ornithologist. Born in the Argentine pampas w ...
, '' The Purple Land'' ( 1885) * Benito Lynch: ** '' The Englishman of the Bones'' (
1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...
) ** '' The Romance of a Gaucho'' (
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...
) * Ricardo Güiraldes, ''Don Segundo Sombra'' (
1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
)


Other Argentine writers

In chronological order by birth year; * Juan Godoy (
1793 The French Republic introduced the French Revolutionary Calendar starting with the year I. Events January–June * January 7 – The Ebel riot occurs in Sweden. * January 9 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first to ...
1864 Events January * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song "Beautiful Dream ...
) *
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (15 February 1811 – 11 September 1888) was President of Argentina from 1868 to 1874. He was a member of a group of intellectuals, known as the '' Generation of 1837'', who had a great influence on 19th-century Argent ...
(
1811 Events January–March * January 8 – An unsuccessful slave revolt is led by Charles Deslondes, in St. Charles and St. James Parishes, Louisiana. * January 17 – Mexican War of Independence – Battle of Calderón ...
1888)


Other Uruguayan writers

* Bartolomé Hidalgo (
1788 Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...
1822 Events January–March * January 1 – The Greek Constitution of 1822 is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. * January 3 – The famous French explorer, Aimé Bonpland, is imprisoned in Paraguay on charges of espionage. ...
) * Eduardo Acevedo Díaz (
1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion in China, one of the bloodiest revolts that would lead to 20 million deaths. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-d ...
1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...
) *
Javier de Viana Javier de Viana is a town in the Artigas Department of northern Uruguay. It was named after the Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and so ...
(
1868 Events January * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsu ...
1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
) * Justino Zavala Muniz (
1898 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queen ...
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
) * Serafín J. García * Alcides de María * Orosmán Moratorio (1852-1898) * Wenceslao Varela


References

* Andermann, Jens, Mapas de poder. Una arqueología literaria del espacio argentino, Rosario, Beatriz Viterbo, 2000. * Ansaldi, Waldo, "La forja de un dictador. El caso de Juan Manuel de Rosas", en Julio Labastida Martín del Campo (coord.), Dictaduras y dictadores, México, Siglo XXI, 1986. * Aragón, R. y J. Calvetti, Genio y figura de José Hernández, Buenos Aires, Eudeba, 1972. * Arrieta, Rafael Alberto, “Estanislao del Campo”, en Rafael Alberto Arrieta (dir.), Historia de la literatura Argentina, III, Buenos Aires, Peuser, 1959. * Ayestarán, Lauro, La primitiva poesía gauchesca en el Uruguay (1812–1838), Montevideo, El Siglo Ilustrado, 1950. * Barba, Fernando E., Los autonomistas del 70, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1982. * Borello, Rodolfo: ''Hidalgo, iniciador de la poesía gauchesca'' Madrid, 1966 * Borello, Rodolfo y otros, Trayectoria de la poesía gauchesca, Buenos Aires, Plus Ultra, 1977. * Borello, Rodolfo, Hernández: poesía y política, Buenos Aires, Plus Ultra, 1973. * Borges, Jorge Luis y Margarita Guerrero, El “Martín Fierro”
953 Year 953 ( CMLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Marash: Emir Sayf al-Dawla marches north into the Byzantine Empire and ravages the countryside of Malatya ...
en Jorge Luis Borges, Obras completas en colaboración, Barcelona, Emecé, cuarta edición, 1997. * Borges, Jorge Luis, “La poesía gauchesca”, Discusión, Buenos Aires, Emecé, 1952. * Caillava, Domingo A., Historia de la literatura gauchesca en el Uruguay. 1810–1940, Montevideo, Claudio García & Cia., 1945. * Caillet-Bois, Julio, “Hilario Ascasubi”, en Rafael Alberto Arrieta (dir.), Historia de la literatura Argentina, III, Buenos Aires, Peuser, 1959. * Chávez, Fermín, José Hernández. Periodista, político y poeta, Buenos Aires, Plus Ultra, 1973. * Eujanián, Alejandro, “La cultura: público, autores y editores”, en Marta Bonaudo (dir.), Nueva Historia Argentina, IV, Liberalismo, estado y orden burgués (1852–1880), Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1999. * Galván Moreno, Celestino, El periodismo argentino, Buenos Aires, Claridad, 1944. * Goldman, Noemí (directora), Revolución, república, confederación, 1806-1852 (Nueva historia Argentina, vol. 3), Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1999. * Goldman, Noemí y Ricardo Salvatore (compiladores), Caudillismos rioplatenses. Nuevas miradas a un viejo problema, Buenos Aires, Eudeba, 1998. * Gramuglio, María T. y Beatriz Sarlo (selección, prólogo y notas), Martín Fierro y su crítica, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina,1980. * Gramuglio, María T. y Beatriz Sarlo, “José Hernández” y "Martín Fierro", en Historia de la literatura Argentina, 2. Del romanticismo al naturalismo, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1980–1986. * Gramuglio, María T., “Continuidad entre la Ida y la Vuelta de `Martín Fierro´”, en Punto de Vista, II, 7, noviembre de 1979. * Gramuglio, María Teresa y Beatriz Sarlo, “José Hernández”, en Susana Zanetti, (directora), Historia de la literatura Argentina, 2, Del romanticismo al naturalismo, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1980–1986. * Halperín Donghi, Tulio, Revolución y guerra, México, Siglo XXI, 1979. * Halperín Donghi, Tulio, Una nación para el desierto argentino, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1982. * Jitrik, Noé, “El tema del canto en el Martín Fierro, de José Hernández”, El fuego de la especie, Buenos Aires, Siglo XXI, 1971. * Jitrik, Noé, José Hernández, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1971. * Lois, Élida, “Estudio filológico preliminar”, en José Hernández, Martín Fierro, Edición crítica, Coordinadores Élida Lois y Ángel Núñez, París-Madrid, Archivos, 2001. * Ludmer, Josefina, El género gauchesco. Un tratado sobre la patria, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1988. * Lugones, Leopoldo, El payador y antología de poesía y prosa, Prólogo Jorge Luis Borges, Selección, notas y cronología Guillermo Ara, Caracas, Biblioteca Ayacucho, 1979. * Martínez Estrada, Ezequiel, Muerte y transfiguración de Martín Fierro, México, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1948. * Mujica Lainez, Manuel, Vidas del Gallo y el Pollo, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1966. * Myers, Jorge, Orden y virtud. El discurso republicano en el régimen rosista, Bernal, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, 1995. * Pagés Larraya, Antonio, Prosas del Martín Fierro. Buenos Aires, Raigal, 1952. * Pivel Devoto, Juan E. y Alcira Ranieri de Pivel Devoto, Historia de la República Oriental del Uruguay (1830–1930), Montevideo, Raúl Artagave y Cia., 1945. * Prieto, Adolfo, “La culminación de la poesía gauchesca”, en Rodolfo Borello y otros, Trayectoria..., 1997 (op. cit.). * Prieto, Adolfo, El discurso criollista en la formación de la Argentina moderna, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1988. * Rama, Ángel, "El sistema literario de la poesía gauchesca", prólogo a Poesía gauchesca, Caracas, Biblioteca Ayacucho, 1977. * Rama, Ángel, Los gauchipolíticos rioplatenses, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1982. * Ramos, Julio, Desencuentros de la modernidad en América Latina. Literatura y política en el siglo XIX, México, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1989. * Rivera, Jorge B., "La paga del gauchesco", en Clarín, Buenos Aires, 18 de mayo de 1989. * Rivera, Jorge B., “Ingreso, difusión e instalación modelar del Martín Fierro en el contexto de la cultura argentina”, en José Hernández, Martín Fierro, Edición crítica (Ángel Núñez y Élida Lois, coordinadores), Paris-Madrid, Colección Archivos, 51, 2001. * Rodríguez Molas, Ricardo, Historia social del gaucho, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1982. * Rodríguez Molas, Ricardo, Luis Pérez y la biografía de Rosas escrita en verso en 1830, Buenos Aires, Clío, 1957. * Rojas, Ricardo, Historia de la literatura Argentina. Ensayo filosófico sobre la evolución de la cultura en el Plata 917-1922 I y II, Los gauchescos, Buenos Aires, Kraft, 1960. * Roman, Claudia (Selección, presentación y notas), El terror de las musas. Lectores contemporáneos del Fausto criollo (1866–1870), Buenos Aires, 2002. * Romano, Eduardo, “Poesía tradicional, poesía popular, poesía cultivada”, Sobre poesía popular Argentina, Buenos Aires, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1983. * Sábato, Hilda, “La vida pública en Buenos Aires”, en Marta Bonaudo (dir.), Liberalismo, estado y orden burgués (1852–1880), Nueva historia Argentina, IV, Buenos Aires, Sudamericana, 1999. * Salvatore, Ricardo D., “El imperio de la ley. Delito, estado y sociedad en la era rosista”, en Delito y Sociedad. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 4–5, 1994. * Salvatore, Ricardo D., “Reclutamiento militar, disciplinamiento y proletarización en la era de Rosas”, en Boletín del Instituto de Historia Argentina y Americana “Dr. E. Ravignani”, Tercera Serie, 5, primer semestre de 1992. * Sansone, Eneida, “La poesía gauchesca, de Hidalgo al Viejo Pancho”, en Capítulo oriental. Historia de la literatura uruguaya, Montevideo, Centro Editor de América Latina, 1968. * Scobie, James R., La lucha por la consolidación de la nacionalidad Argentina. 1852–1862, Buenos Aires, Hachette, 1964. * Schvartzman, Julio, “El gaucho letrado”, Microcrítica, Buenos Aires, Biblos, 1986. * Sosa de Newton, Lily, Genio y figura de Hilario Ascasubi, Buenos Aires, Eudeba, 1981. * Vidart, Daniel y otros, El gaucho y la literatura gauchesca, Cuadernos de Marcha, 6, Montevideo, octubre de 1967. * Villanueva, Amaro, Crítica y pico. El sentido essential del Martín Fierro, Buenos Aires, Plus Ultra, 1972. * Weinberg, Félix, “La poesía gauchesca de Hidalgo a Ascasubi”, en Rodolfo Borello y otros, Trayectoria..., 1997 (op. cit.). * Zorraquín Becú, Horacio, Tiempo y vida de José Hernández (1834–1886), Buenos Aires, Emecé, 1972.


Notes

{{reflist Argentine literature Uruguayan literature Brazilian literature Literary genres Gaucho culture