Clarinda (poet)
Encyclopedia
Clarinda was the pen name
used by an anonymous Peru
vian poet, generally assumed to be a woman, who wrote in the early 17th Century. The only work attributed to her is the long poem Discourse in Praise of Poetry (Discurso en loor de la poesía), which was printed in Seville
in 1608. She is one of very few female, Spanish-speaking colonial-period
poets whose work has not been lost. Thus, she is often read in partnership with Mexico's Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and fellow Peru
vian "Amarilis", whose identity is also uncertain.
Clarinda was born in the latter half of the 16th Century and was likely a member of the criollo
caste, therefore of pure Spanish ancestry, born in the Spanish colonies. Her writing, which depends heavily on Greek and Biblical allusions, indicates that she was well read and educated. With few exceptions, women under Spanish colonial rule were not encouraged to write, and women who did write typically learned to do so on their own and knowing their work would not find acceptance from the men who dominated the literary tradition. Fear of rejection or persecution may have been what prompted Clarinda to adopt a pseudonym.
However, restrictions on women interested in literature were looser in the colonies than in Europe, and Clarinda seems to have been granted access to the literary circles in colonial Peru. Her writing is characteristic of the Academia Antártica
, a society of poets in Lima who shared and discussed literary texts. She may herself have been a member of this society.
's Heroides
by the poet Diego Mexía de Fernangil. The notes accompanying the poem indicate that its author is a "señora principal" (foremost lady) in Peru who requested that her work be published under the pen name Clarinda.
Mexía de Fernangil was a Spaniard but had lived for a time in the viceroyalties of Mexico and Peru
, and in Lima
he was a member of the Academia Antártica, which perhaps explains Clarinda's association with him. Discourse in Praise of Poetry is the only poem credited to Clarinda, though commentators have suggested that it was penned by the same woman who wrote the Epístola a Bernardo, published in 1621, which is typically attributed to the anonymous poet known as "Amarilis".
As printed in Antonio Cornejo Polar's critical edition, the poem is composed of 269 three-line stanzas and takes as its subject the acclamation of poetry
-- with emphasis on the poetry of Mexía de Fernangil. Cornejo Polar explains in his footnotes that "[t]odo el texto tiene como motivo principal alabar la figura de Diego Mexia de Fernangil" (the entire text adopts the primary goal of praising the figure Diego Mexía de Fernangil); however, other critics believe the poem's main objective is the insistence that Spanish colonists are just as capable as Europeans of literary invention.
Thus far, no English-language translation of the poem has been published.
an fashion, and following the literary trends of early 17th Century Spanish colonial literature, Clarinda invokes mythological figures, such as Apollo
, the Muses, and Orpheus
, in her verses::
A nonprofessional translation into English:
and Ciro Alegría
.
as a story of personal triumph via autodidacticism
. Feminist critics have also endeavored to solidify the interpretation of Discourse in Praise of Poetry as a distinctly female voice, despite the puzzle of Clarinda's true identity. The evidence most commonly put forward in defense of Clarinda's femaleness are the notes that accompany the poem in its first publication (described above). The poem also catalogues, mostly through allusions, an arresting number of female "savants and writers from a variety of traditions and historical periods". These include references to Sappho
, the Virgin Mary, and many others. Many critics interpret this list as Clarinda's attempt to create a space for female voice within the male-dominated genre of colonial lyric poetry
.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
used by an anonymous Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian poet, generally assumed to be a woman, who wrote in the early 17th Century. The only work attributed to her is the long poem Discourse in Praise of Poetry (Discurso en loor de la poesía), which was printed in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in 1608. She is one of very few female, Spanish-speaking colonial-period
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
poets whose work has not been lost. Thus, she is often read in partnership with Mexico's Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and fellow Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian "Amarilis", whose identity is also uncertain.
Identity and early life
Because she wrote under a pen name, and because no documentation definitively affirms her existence, Clarinda's identity is at best enigmatic. Her gender is itself a source of debate, though literary scholars like Georgina Sabat de Rivers and Raquel Chang-Rodríguez have isolated in Clarinda's poetry what they believe is a distinctly female voice.Clarinda was born in the latter half of the 16th Century and was likely a member of the criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
caste, therefore of pure Spanish ancestry, born in the Spanish colonies. Her writing, which depends heavily on Greek and Biblical allusions, indicates that she was well read and educated. With few exceptions, women under Spanish colonial rule were not encouraged to write, and women who did write typically learned to do so on their own and knowing their work would not find acceptance from the men who dominated the literary tradition. Fear of rejection or persecution may have been what prompted Clarinda to adopt a pseudonym.
However, restrictions on women interested in literature were looser in the colonies than in Europe, and Clarinda seems to have been granted access to the literary circles in colonial Peru. Her writing is characteristic of the Academia Antártica
Academia Antártica
The Academia Antártica was a society of writers, poets and intellectuals—mostly of the criollo caste—that assembled in Lima, Peru, in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Their objective was to author a body of literature that matched or surpassed that of Europe's and would prove that literariness indeed...
, a society of poets in Lima who shared and discussed literary texts. She may herself have been a member of this society.
Discourse in Praise of Poetry
Publication
In 1608, Discourse in Praise of Poetry (Discurso en loor de la poesía) was published in the prologue to a new Spanish translation of OvidOvid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Heroides
Heroides
The Heroides , or Epistulae Heroidum , are a collection of fifteen epistolary poems composed by Ovid in Latin elegiac couplets, and presented as though written by a selection of aggrieved heroines of Greek and Roman mythology, in address to their heroic lovers who have in some way mistreated,...
by the poet Diego Mexía de Fernangil. The notes accompanying the poem indicate that its author is a "señora principal" (foremost lady) in Peru who requested that her work be published under the pen name Clarinda.
Mexía de Fernangil was a Spaniard but had lived for a time in the viceroyalties of Mexico and Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
, and in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
he was a member of the Academia Antártica, which perhaps explains Clarinda's association with him. Discourse in Praise of Poetry is the only poem credited to Clarinda, though commentators have suggested that it was penned by the same woman who wrote the Epístola a Bernardo, published in 1621, which is typically attributed to the anonymous poet known as "Amarilis".
As printed in Antonio Cornejo Polar's critical edition, the poem is composed of 269 three-line stanzas and takes as its subject the acclamation of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
-- with emphasis on the poetry of Mexía de Fernangil. Cornejo Polar explains in his footnotes that "[t]odo el texto tiene como motivo principal alabar la figura de Diego Mexia de Fernangil" (the entire text adopts the primary goal of praising the figure Diego Mexía de Fernangil); however, other critics believe the poem's main objective is the insistence that Spanish colonists are just as capable as Europeans of literary invention.
Thus far, no English-language translation of the poem has been published.
Sample
In PetrarchPetrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
an fashion, and following the literary trends of early 17th Century Spanish colonial literature, Clarinda invokes mythological figures, such as Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, the Muses, and Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
, in her verses::
La mano y el favor de la Cirene,
a quien Apolo amó con amor tierno;
y el agua consagrada de Hipocrene
y aquella lira con que del Averno
Orfeo libertó su dulce esposa,
suspendiendo las furias del infierno;
la célebre armonía milagrosa
de aquél cuyo testudo pudo tanto,
que dio muralla a Tebas la famosa;
el platicar suave, vuelta en llanto,
y en sola voz, que a Júpiter guardaba,
y al Juna entretenía y daba espanto;
el verso con que Homero eternizaba
lo que del fuerte Aquiles escrebía,
y aquella vena con que lo ditaba,
quisiera que alcanzaras, Musa mia,
para que en grave y sublimado verso
cantaras en loor de la poesía. (1-18)
A nonprofessional translation into English:
The hand and favor of CyreneCyrene, LibyaCyrene was an ancient Greek colony and then a Roman city in present-day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar...
,
whom ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
loved tenderly;
and HippocreneHippocreneIn Greek mythology, Hippocrene was the name of a fountain on Mt. Helicon. It was sacred to the Muses and was formed by the hooves of Pegasus...
's consecrated water
and that lyre with which, from AvernusLake AvernusLake Avernus is a volcanic crater lake located in the Avernus crater in the Campania region of southern Italy, around northwest of Pozzuoli. It is near the volcanic field known as the Campi Flegrei and comprises part of the wider Campanian volcanic arc...
,
OrpheusOrpheusOrpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
liberated his sweet wifeEurydiceEurydice in Greek mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo . She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake,...
,
suspending the rages of Hell;
the renowned wonderful harmony
of heAmphionThere are several characters named Amphion in Greek mythology:* Amphion, son of Zeus and Antiope, and twin brother of Zethus . Together they are famous for building Thebes. Amphion married Niobe, and killed himself after the loss of his wife and children at the hands of Apollo and Artemis...
whose [testudo] could do so much,
who gave walls to ThebesAncient Thebes (Boeotia)See Thebes, Greece for the modern city built on the ancient ruins.Ancient Thebes was a Boeotian city-state , situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain...
the famous;
the smooth conversation, full of weeping,
and in single voice, that protected JupiterJupiter (mythology)In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
,
and whiled away and frightened JunoJuno (mythology)Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera...
;
the verse that HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
eternalized,
that he wrote for strong AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
,
and in that vein with which he recited it,
I would that you arrive, my MuseMuseThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
,
so that in solemn and sublime verse
you will sing in praise of poetry. (1-18)
Legacy
Clarinda's Discourse in Praise of Poetry has, in the more than three centuries since its publication, become one of Peru's most lauded texts. It is "one of the most celebrated products of the Academia Antártica", and it has greatly surpassed in fame the Mexía de Fernangil translation it preceded in its initial publication. Some contemporary scholars view the poem as a fundamental piece in Peru's literary history and an influence on later Peruvian writers like José Maria ArguedasJosé María Arguedas
José María Arguedas Altamirano was a Peruvian novelist, poet, and anthropologist who wrote mainly in Spanish, although some of his poetry is in Quechua...
and Ciro Alegría
Ciro Alegría
Ciro Alegría Bazán was a Peruvian journalist, politician, and novelist.-Biography:Born in Huamachuco District, he exposed the problematic of the native Peruvians, learning about their way of life. This understanding of how they were oppressed was the focus for his novels...
.
Feminist responses
The fact that Clarinda, probably a woman, composed and even published poetry despite widespread disdain for female writers in colonial Spanish America is typically depicted by feminist criticsFeminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
as a story of personal triumph via autodidacticism
Autodidacticism
Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a person who teaches him or herself something. The term has its roots in the Ancient Greek words αὐτός and διδακτικός...
. Feminist critics have also endeavored to solidify the interpretation of Discourse in Praise of Poetry as a distinctly female voice, despite the puzzle of Clarinda's true identity. The evidence most commonly put forward in defense of Clarinda's femaleness are the notes that accompany the poem in its first publication (described above). The poem also catalogues, mostly through allusions, an arresting number of female "savants and writers from a variety of traditions and historical periods". These include references to Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
, the Virgin Mary, and many others. Many critics interpret this list as Clarinda's attempt to create a space for female voice within the male-dominated genre of colonial lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
.
External Resources
- Wikipedia's Spanish-language Clarinda article.
- Full text of "Discurso en loor de la poesía" at PoemasDe.net.
- Full text of "Discurso en loor de la poesía" at yPoemas.com.
- Partial text of Antonio Cornejo Polar's critical edition of "Discurso en loor de la poesía" at GoogleBooks.
- Lucrecio Pérez-Blanco's annotated edition of "Discurso en loor de la poesía" at the Universidad Complutense.
- Partial text of The Cambridge History of Latin American Literature (ed. González Echevarria & Pupo-Walker) at GoogleBooks.
- Calíope: Journal of the Society for Renaissance & Baroque Hispanic Poetry. Published biannually at the University of Houston.
- The Gendering Latin American Research Project (2001–2006). Hosted by the Department of Hispanic and American Studies, University of Nottingham, in collaboration with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Manchester.
- Raquel Chang-Rodríguez's Professional Website at the City University of New York (CUNY).
- Roberto González Echevarria's recommended reading on Spanish colonial literature at Encyclopædia Britannica.
- H-LATAM (the Latin American History list-serv) at h-Net.org.