Literatura Gauchesca
Encyclopedia
Gaucho literature, also known as gauchesco ("gauchoesque") style was a literary movement purporting to use the language of the gaucho
s, comparable to the American cowboy
, 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 south of Brazil after which the movement petered out, although some works continued to be written. Gauchoesque works continue to be read and studied as an significant part of Argentine literary history.
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
and Hilario Ascasubi
.
The influence of folk music
and a countrified language has always, to some extent, been felt in popular literature, as, for example, in the folk-flavoured poetry
of the Uruguay
an gauchoesque poet Bartolomé Hidalgo (1788
–1822
; unless otherwise noted, each year in this article links to its corresponding "[year] in literature" article). And 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
. This is particularly true of even the most modern Uruguayan literature.
With Mark Twain
's attempt to reproduce the dialect of Missouri
boys, slaves, "injuns", etc., gauchoesque literature actually aspires to use, to perpetuate what purports to be the actual language of the gauchos.
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
s, comparable to the American cowboy
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 traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
, 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 south of Brazil after which the movement petered out, although some works continued to be written. Gauchoesque works continue to be read and studied as an significant part of Argentine literary history.
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
Estanislao del Campo was an Argentine poet. Born in Buenos Aires to a unitarian family—the unitarians were a political party favoring a strong central government, rather than a federation—he fought in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, defending Buenos Aires' rights.He is best remembered...
and Hilario Ascasubi
Hilario Ascasubi
Hilario Ascasubi was an Argentine poet.Ascasubi was born in the back of a horse drawn cart, in Bell Ville city, while his mother was on her way to a wedding in Buenos Aires....
.
The influence of folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and a countrified language has always, to some extent, been felt in popular literature, as, for example, in the folk-flavoured 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...
of the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an gauchoesque poet Bartolomé Hidalgo (1788
1788 in literature
-Events:*Ann Ward marries William Radcliffe, gaining the surname under which she will become known as a writer of Gothic novels.*Joseph Johnson and Thomas Christie found the Analytical Review.-New books:...
–1822
1822 in literature
The year 1822 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Thursday-evening class" begins*Percy Bysshe Shelley dies-New books:*Hans Christian Andersen - Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave...
; unless otherwise noted, each year in this article links to its corresponding "[year] in literature" article). And 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
Ricardo Güiraldes
Ricardo Güiraldes was an Argentine novelist and poet, one of the most significant Argentine writers of his era, particularly known for his 1926 novel Don Segundo Sombra, set amongst the gauchos.-Life:...
, Benito Lynch
Benito Lynch
Benito Lynch, Argentine novelist and short-story writer, was born in Buenos Aires on 25 July 1885, and died La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, 23 December 1951.-Origins and life:...
and Enrique Amorim
Enrique Amorim
Enrique Amorim was an Uruguayan novelist and writer, best known for his story Las quitanderas whose plot centres on rural prostitution; also known for his left-wing politics....
. This is particularly true of even the most modern Uruguayan literature.
With Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's attempt to reproduce the dialect of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
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 "[year] in literature" article, except for poetry, which links to its "[year] in poetry" article:Poetry
- Hilario AscasubiHilario AscasubiHilario Ascasubi was an Argentine poet.Ascasubi was born in the back of a horse drawn cart, in Bell Ville city, while his mother was on her way to a wedding in Buenos Aires....
, Santos Vegas (18511851 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Works published in English:-United Kingdom:* Thomas Lovell Beddoes, Poems Posthumous and Collected...
) - Estanislao del CampoEstanislao del CampoEstanislao del Campo was an Argentine poet. Born in Buenos Aires to a unitarian family—the unitarians were a political party favoring a strong central government, rather than a federation—he fought in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, defending Buenos Aires' rights.He is best remembered...
, Fausto (18661866 in poetry* John Greenleaf Whittier:** Snow-Bound, United States** "Abraham Davenport", poem published in The Atlantic Monthly in May , about an incident involving Abraham Davenport-France:* Théodore de Banville, Les Exilés...
) - Jose Hernandez, Martin Fierro (first part 18721872 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-United Kingdom:* Alfred Austin, Interludes* Robert Browning, Fifine at the Fair...
, second part 18791879 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-United Kingdom:* Edwin Arnold, The Light of Asia; or, The Great Renunciation...
)
Novels
- Eduardo GutierrezEduardo GutiérrezEduardo Gutiérrez was an Argentine writer. His works of gauchoesque nature acquired great popularity, specially Juan Moreira, a novel successfully adapted to the stage in 1884 that popularized the gaucho as a protagonist in Argentine theatre.-References:...
, Juan Moreiea (18801880 in literatureThe year 1880 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Henry Adams - Democracy: An American Novel *Rhoda Broughton - Second Thoughts*Wilkie Collins - Jezebel's Daughter...
) - Benito LynchBenito LynchBenito Lynch, Argentine novelist and short-story writer, was born in Buenos Aires on 25 July 1885, and died La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, 23 December 1951.-Origins and life:...
:- The Englishman of the Bones (19241924 in literatureThe year 1924 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Ford Madox Ford publishes the first book of a four-volume work titled Parade's End published between 1924 and 1928.-New books:*Michael Arlen - The Green Hat...
) - The Romance of the Goucho (19301930 in literatureThe year 1930 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 6 - The first literary character licensing agreement is signed by A. A. Milne, granting Stephen Slesinger U.S...
)
- The Englishman of the Bones (1924
- Ricardo GuiraldesRicardo GüiraldesRicardo Güiraldes was an Argentine novelist and poet, one of the most significant Argentine writers of his era, particularly known for his 1926 novel Don Segundo Sombra, set amongst the gauchos.-Life:...
, Don Segundo Sombra (19261926 in literatureThe year 1926 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is founded in Middlebury, Vermont....
)
Periodicals
- Martín FierroMartín Fierro (magazine)Martín Fierro was an Argentine literary magazine which appeared from February 1924 to 1927. It was founded by Evar Méndez , José B. Cairola, Leónidas Campbell, H. Carambat, Luis L. Franco, Oliverio Girondo, Ernesto Palacio, Pablo Rojas Paz, and Gastón O...
, a journal which published work reflecting traditional values in Argentine art and literature (19241924 in literatureThe year 1924 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Ford Madox Ford publishes the first book of a four-volume work titled Parade's End published between 1924 and 1928.-New books:*Michael Arlen - The Green Hat...
–19271927 in literatureThe year 1927 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Random House, book publishers, is founded in New York City by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer.-New books:*James Boyd - Marching On...
) - Sur, a publication similar to Martin Fierro, founded after the demise of that magazine.
Other Argentine writers
In chronological order by birth year;- Bartolome Hidalgo (17881788 in literature-Events:*Ann Ward marries William Radcliffe, gaining the surname under which she will become known as a writer of Gothic novels.*Joseph Johnson and Thomas Christie found the Analytical Review.-New books:...
–18221822 in literatureThe year 1822 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Thursday-evening class" begins*Percy Bysshe Shelley dies-New books:*Hans Christian Andersen - Ghost at Palnatoke's Grave...
) - Juan Godoy (17931793 in literature-Events:*William Wordsworth tours Wales and western England, writing some of his best-known poems.-New books:*Charlotte Turner Smith**The Old Manor House**The Emigrants*Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke - Abällino, der grosse Bandit-New drama:...
–18641864 in literatureThe year 1864 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Ambrose Bierce is wounded at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.*Charles Baudelaire leaves Paris for Belgium in the hope of resolving his financial difficulties....
) - Domingo Faustino SarmientoDomingo Faustino SarmientoDomingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
(18111811 in literatureThe year 1811 in literature involved some significant new books, including Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.-New books:*Jane Austen - Sense and Sensibility*Amelia Beauclerc - Eva of Cambria*Mary Brunton - Self-Control...
–18881888 in literatureThe year 1888 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Grant Allen - The Devil's Die**The White Man's Foot*Edward Bellamy - Looking Backward*Rolf Boldrewood - Robbery Under Arms...
) - Eduardo Diaz Acevedo (18511851 in literatureThe year 1851 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*January 1 - The Georgian theatre company gives its first performance, under the direction of Giorgi Eristavi....
–19211921 in literatureThe year 1921 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Edgar Rice Burroughs – Tarzan the Terrible*James Branch Cabell – Figures of Earth*Hall Caine – The Master of Man*Willa Cather – Alexander's Bridge...
)
Other Uruguayan writers
- Javier de Viana (poet) (1868–19261926 in literatureThe year 1926 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Bread Loaf Writers' Conference is founded in Middlebury, Vermont....
) - Justino Zavola Muniz (18981898 in literatureThe year 1898 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Elizabeth von Arnim - Elizabeth and Her German Garden*F. W. Bain - A Digit of the Moon*L...
–19681968 in literatureThe year 1968 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Dean R. Koontz's first novel, Star Quest is published....
)