Pedro Bonifacio Palacios
Encyclopedia
Pedro Bonifacio Palacios (May 13, 1854February 28, 1917), better known by his sobriquet, Almafuerte, was an Argentine
poet
.
, a western suburb of Buenos Aires
, into a humble family. As a boy he lost his mother and was abandoned by his father, and because of this was raised by his relatives.
His first career was as a painter, but, because the government denied him a grant to travel to Europe
, he changed direction and dedicated himself to writing and teaching. At 16 years of age, he was appointed director of a school in then-rural Chacabuco
.
After meeting former President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
in 1884, he was dismissed as school director for not possessing a teaching degree, though this was arguably because his poems were highly critical of the government. He was, however, elected to the Buenos Aires Province Chamber of Deputies, and later worked as a librarian and translator for the Provincial Statistical Bureau. In 1887, he moved to La Plata
and was taken in as a journalist at the newspaper El Pueblo.
In 1894 he renewed his teaching activities at a school near Trenque Lauquen
, but two years later was once again withdrawn for political reasons.
At the start of the 20th century, he began participating briefly in active politics, but because of his unstable economic situation and his refusal to accept a political position, he did not do it with much enthusiasm.
At the end of his life, the Argentine National Congress
granted him a pension so he could dedicate himself in full to his poetry. However, his health had deteriorated, and he died on the 28th of February, 1917, in La Plata
, captal of the Province of Buenos Aires, at the age of 63.
, dramatized the life of Palacios.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Biography
Palacios was born in San JustoSan Justo, Buenos Aires
San Justo is a city and the seat of government of La Matanza Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.On the initiative of Judge Lino Lagos, the settlement was founded on December 25th, 1858 on land requisitioned from Justo Villegas, a prominent landowner...
, a western suburb of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, into a humble family. As a boy he lost his mother and was abandoned by his father, and because of this was raised by his relatives.
His first career was as a painter, but, because the government denied him a grant to travel to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, he changed direction and dedicated himself to writing and teaching. At 16 years of age, he was appointed director of a school in then-rural Chacabuco
Chacabuco, Buenos Aires
Chacabuco is a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Chacabuco Partido and has a population of 34,958 inhabitants...
.
After meeting former President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo 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...
in 1884, he was dismissed as school director for not possessing a teaching degree, though this was arguably because his poems were highly critical of the government. He was, however, elected to the Buenos Aires Province Chamber of Deputies, and later worked as a librarian and translator for the Provincial Statistical Bureau. In 1887, he moved to La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
and was taken in as a journalist at the newspaper El Pueblo.
In 1894 he renewed his teaching activities at a school near Trenque Lauquen
Trenque Lauquen
Trenque Lauquen is a city in the west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Buenos Aires City and from the border with the province of La Pampa, on the intersection of National Routes 5 and 33...
, but two years later was once again withdrawn for political reasons.
At the start of the 20th century, he began participating briefly in active politics, but because of his unstable economic situation and his refusal to accept a political position, he did not do it with much enthusiasm.
At the end of his life, the Argentine National Congress
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies....
granted him a pension so he could dedicate himself in full to his poetry. However, his health had deteriorated, and he died on the 28th of February, 1917, in La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, captal of the Province of Buenos Aires, at the age of 63.
Literary Work
Palacios published some works under various pseudonyms, the most well known of which was Almafuerte.- Evangélicas (1915)
- Lamentaciones (1906)
- Poesías (1917)
- Nuevas Poesías (1918)
- Milongas clásicas, sonetos medicinales y Dios te salve. Discursos (1919)
- La inmortal
- El misionero
- Trémolo
- Cantar de los cantares
- La sombra de la patria
See also
A 1949 Argentine film, AlmafuerteAlmafuerte (film)
Almafuerte is a 1949 Argentine drama film directed by Luis César Amadori and written by Belisario García Villar. The film is a biography of the Argentine poet Pedro Bonifacio Palacios . The film starred Narciso Ibáñez Menta as Almafuerte and Pola Alonso.It won the Silver Condor for best film and...
, dramatized the life of Palacios.
- Almafuerte at Find-A-Grave