Dr. Manuel Antonio Alonso Pacheco (October 6, 1822 – November 4, 1889) was a Puerto Rican writer, poet, journalist and physician. He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican writer of notable importance.
Early years
Alonso was born in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
. His father Juan Francisco Alonso was a
Galician soldier and his mother María de África de Pacheco was a native of
Ceuta
Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...
of Spanish origin. He received his primary education in
Caguas
Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
and in the Ildefonso Seminary in San Juan. Alonso then went to the City of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
where he enrolled in the
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona (official name in ; UB), formerly also known as Central University of Barcelona (), is a public research university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was established in 1450. With 76,000 students, ...
to study medicine. He finished his medical studies in 1844 and practiced his profession in Barcelona.
Works
In 1845, he published a book called "El Gíbaro" ("The
Jíbaro
Jivaro or Jibaro, also spelled Hivaro or Hibaro, may refer to:
* Jíbaro (Puerto Rico), mountain-dwelling peasants in Puerto Rico
* Jíbaro music, a Puerto Rican musical genre
* Jivaroan peoples, indigenous peoples in northern Peru and eastern ...
"). "El Gíbaro" was a collection of verses whose main themes were the humble Puerto Rican subsistence farmer and the customs of Puerto Rico.
Return to Puerto Rico
In 1848, Alonso returned to Puerto Rico and set up his medical office in the City of Caguas. He also became the director of the House of Benefit of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
, until the day of his death. In collaboration with other notable writers of the day, he published the "Album Puertorriqueño" (Puerto Rican Album), which was the second
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
of poems to be published in the island. Alonso died in the City of San Juan on November 4, 1889. He was buried at
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
__NOTOC__
The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery () is a colonial-era Catholic cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in ...
in San Juan.
Poet and journalist
As a writer, poet and journalist he derived his inspiration from anything that had to do with love and his country. Alonso cultivated his verses and gave them a touch festivality. Alonso was also a member of the Liberal Reform movement in Puerto Rico and directed that organizations publication, (The Agent).
Among his poems are:
* "", about
Antonio de los Reyes Correa
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Short stories
Some of the short stories Alonso wrote include:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Puerto Rico has honored his memory by naming schools and public buildings after him.
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
*
List of Puerto Rican writers
This is a list of Puerto Rican literary figures, including poets, novelists, short story authors, and playwrights. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and long-term residents or immigrants w ...
*
Puerto Rican literature
Puerto Rican literature is the body of literature produced by writers of Puerto Rican descent. It evolved from the art of Oral literature, oral storytelling. Written works by the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico were originally prohibited ...
*
Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States
''The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States'' (''MELUS'') is a scholarly society established in 1974. MELUS publishes a quarterly academic journal, ''MELUS''. The aim of the Society is "to expand the definition ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alonso, Manuel
1822 births
1889 deaths
Burials at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people of Galician descent
Puerto Rican male poets
19th-century Puerto Rican male writers
19th-century Puerto Rican poets