María Josefa Mujía (1812–1888) was a Bolivian poet. Blind from the age of 14, she was one of Bolivia's first Romantic poets and is considered the country's first woman writer following its independence.[1] Her poetry was lauded for its sincerity and lyricism, while its dark and sorrowful content earned her the moniker "la Alondra del dolor" (the "Lark of pain").
María Josefa Catalina Estrada Mujía was born in Sucre in 1812[2] to Miguel Mujía and Andrea Estrada. She grew up during the Bolivian War of Independence (1809–1825) and was the eldest of six brothers. Her early education included Spanish literary classics and the writings of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. Following the death of her father, she became blind at the age of 14.[3][4] She later underwent eye surgery, to no avail.[4][5]
Her brother Augustus spent afternoons reading religious and literary works to her. He also wrote letters for her and transcribed her poetry. Though she made him promise to keep her works secret, he taught her poem "La ciega" ("Blind Woman") to a friend. It was then published in the Eco de la Opinión newspaper in 1850[4][6] and became one of Mujía's most celebrated poems.[3] According to Gabriel René Moreno, after this she participated in a national competition to compose an inscription for the tomb of Simón Bolívar.[7]
Mujía had depression following the death of Augustus in 1854. Her mother and two of her other brothers died as well. She ceased composing poetry for a time until her nephew Ricardo Mujía took on the role of transcribing and disseminating her verse. He later remarked on the improvisational nature of her poems, recounting that they were never revised or corrected.[4]
Mujía authored over 320 poems and wrote a novel.[5] She translated Italian and French works, including those by Alphonse de Lamartine and Victor Hugo.[8] Her compositions were printed in magazines and newspapers such as El Cruzado.[3][5] She is considered the first woman writer of Bolivia after its independence[1] and was one of the country's first Romantic poets.[9] Alongside minor poets Néstor Galindo, Ricardo José Bustamante, and Manuel José Tovar, she formed the foundation of Bolivian romanticism.[10]
Mujía's personal and sorrowful style of poetry draws on her own blindness.[1] Her melancholic verses betray a deep pessimism and due to the tragic character of her verse, she was referred to as "la Alondra del dolor" (the "Lark of pain").[11]
Enrique Finot, in his Historia de la Literatura Boliviana, described her work as being impregnated with a profound sincerity and having a charming simplicity of form.[4] In praise of her poem "Arbol de la esperanza", Spanish literary critic Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo wrote that her verses had more intimacy of lyrical feeling than anything else in the Parnasso Boliviano.[3][12]
Her body of work was collected by Gustavo Jordán Ríos in 2009 into María Josefa Mujía: Obra Completa.[4]
Referencesedit
^ abc"Poetry of Bolivia". The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (4th ed.). Princeton: Princeton University Press. 2012-08-26. p. 153. ISBN978-1-4008-4142-4.
^Some sources give her year of birth as 1820. See La Razón
^ abcdBarnadas, Josep M. (2002). "María Josefa Mujia". (PDF) (in Spanish). Sucre: Grupo de Estudios Históricos. ISBN8483702770. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
^ abcdefgBadani, Javier (12 August 2012). "La poeta perdida". La Razón (in Spanish).
^ abc. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 18 November 2009. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
^"Maria Josefa Mujia". Revista del Pacifico (in Spanish). 1. Imprenta y Libreria del Mercurio de Santos Tornero: 414. 1858.
^Ramírez, Raphael (26 August 2012). "María Josefa". La Razón (in Spanish).
^Wright, Marie Robinson (1907). Bolivia: The Central Highway of South America, a Land of Rich Resources and Varied Interest. George Barrie & Sons. pp. 169–170. María Josefa Mujía.
^Foster, David William, ed. (1992). Handbook of Latin American Literature (2nd ed.). New York: Garland. p. 71. ISBN978-0-8153-1143-0. Bolivian Romantic poetry has its beginnings in the first years of independence with the works of Maria Josefa Mujia.
^Imbert, Enrique Anderson (1963). Spanish American Literature: A History. Wayne State University Press. p. 237.
^Vásquez, Raquel Ichaso (1927). La enseñanza nacional femenina (in Spanish). Imp. Intendencia de Guerra. p. 55.
^In Historia de la poesía Hispanoamericana Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo wrote "De esta infeliz señora (…) a quien su inmenso infortunio presta de todos modos la majestad solemne de la muerte, hay unos sencillos e inspirados versos que quiero poner aquí, porque su forma casi infantil tiene más intimidad de sentimiento lírico que todo lo que he visto del Parnaso boliviano".
Further readingedit
Cortés, José Domingo (1869). "Maria Josefa Mujia". Parnasso Boliviano. Imprenta Albion de Cox y Taylor. pp. 202–218. María Josefa Mujia.
Ríos, Gustavo Jordán (2009). María Josefa Mujía: Obra Completa: Poesía-prosa traducciones epistolario a Gabriel René Moreno. La Paz. ISBN9789995405090.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
April 12, 2024
maría, josefa, mujía, 1812, 1888, bolivian, poet, blind, from, bolivia, first, romantic, poets, considered, country, first, woman, writer, following, independence, poetry, lauded, sincerity, lyricism, while, dark, sorrowful, content, earned, moniker, alondra, . Maria Josefa Mujia 1812 1888 was a Bolivian poet Blind from the age of 14 she was one of Bolivia s first Romantic poets and is considered the country s first woman writer following its independence 1 Her poetry was lauded for its sincerity and lyricism while its dark and sorrowful content earned her the moniker la Alondra del dolor the Lark of pain Maria Josefa MujiaBorn1812Died1888OccupationPoetLanguageSpanishNationalityBolivianGenreRomantic Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 References 4 Further readingBiography editMaria Josefa Catalina Estrada Mujia was born in Sucre in 1812 2 to Miguel Mujia and Andrea Estrada She grew up during the Bolivian War of Independence 1809 1825 and was the eldest of six brothers Her early education included Spanish literary classics and the writings of Pedro Calderon de la Barca Following the death of her father she became blind at the age of 14 3 4 She later underwent eye surgery to no avail 4 5 Her brother Augustus spent afternoons reading religious and literary works to her He also wrote letters for her and transcribed her poetry Though she made him promise to keep her works secret he taught her poem La ciega Blind Woman to a friend It was then published in the Eco de la Opinion newspaper in 1850 4 6 and became one of Mujia s most celebrated poems 3 According to Gabriel Rene Moreno after this she participated in a national competition to compose an inscription for the tomb of Simon Bolivar 7 Mujia had depression following the death of Augustus in 1854 Her mother and two of her other brothers died as well She ceased composing poetry for a time until her nephew Ricardo Mujia took on the role of transcribing and disseminating her verse He later remarked on the improvisational nature of her poems recounting that they were never revised or corrected 4 Mujia died in Sucre on 30 July 1888 4 Works editMujia authored over 320 poems and wrote a novel 5 She translated Italian and French works including those by Alphonse de Lamartine and Victor Hugo 8 Her compositions were printed in magazines and newspapers such as El Cruzado 3 5 She is considered the first woman writer of Bolivia after its independence 1 and was one of the country s first Romantic poets 9 Alongside minor poets Nestor Galindo Ricardo Jose Bustamante and Manuel Jose Tovar she formed the foundation of Bolivian romanticism 10 Mujia s personal and sorrowful style of poetry draws on her own blindness 1 Her melancholic verses betray a deep pessimism and due to the tragic character of her verse she was referred to as la Alondra del dolor the Lark of pain 11 Enrique Finot in his Historia de la Literatura Boliviana described her work as being impregnated with a profound sincerity and having a charming simplicity of form 4 In praise of her poem Arbol de la esperanza Spanish literary critic Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo wrote that her verses had more intimacy of lyrical feeling than anything else in the Parnasso Boliviano 3 12 Her body of work was collected by Gustavo Jordan Rios in 2009 into Maria Josefa Mujia Obra Completa 4 References edit a b c Poetry of Bolivia The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics 4th ed Princeton Princeton University Press 2012 08 26 p 153 ISBN 978 1 4008 4142 4 Some sources give her year of birth as 1820 See La Razon a b c d Barnadas Josep M 2002 Maria Josefa Mujia Diccionario Historico de Bolivia PDF in Spanish Sucre Grupo de Estudios Historicos ISBN 8483702770 Archived from the original PDF on 2014 01 09 Retrieved 2014 01 04 a b c d e f g Badani Javier 12 August 2012 La poeta perdida La Razon in Spanish a b c Develan las facetas desconocidas de Mujia Los Tiempos in Spanish 18 November 2009 Archived from the original on 4 January 2014 Retrieved 4 January 2014 Maria Josefa Mujia Revista del Pacifico in Spanish 1 Imprenta y Libreria del Mercurio de Santos Tornero 414 1858 Ramirez Raphael 26 August 2012 Maria Josefa La Razon in Spanish Wright Marie Robinson 1907 Bolivia The Central Highway of South America a Land of Rich Resources and Varied Interest George Barrie amp Sons pp 169 170 Maria Josefa Mujia Foster David William ed 1992 Handbook of Latin American Literature 2nd ed New York Garland p 71 ISBN 978 0 8153 1143 0 Bolivian Romantic poetry has its beginnings in the first years of independence with the works of Maria Josefa Mujia Imbert Enrique Anderson 1963 Spanish American Literature A History Wayne State University Press p 237 Vasquez Raquel Ichaso 1927 La ensenanza nacional femenina in Spanish Imp Intendencia de Guerra p 55 In Historia de la poesia Hispanoamericana Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo wrote De esta infeliz senora a quien su inmenso infortunio presta de todos modos la majestad solemne de la muerte hay unos sencillos e inspirados versos que quiero poner aqui porque su forma casi infantil tiene mas intimidad de sentimiento lirico que todo lo que he visto del Parnaso boliviano Further reading editCortes Jose Domingo 1869 Maria Josefa Mujia Parnasso Boliviano Imprenta Albion de Cox y Taylor pp 202 218 Maria Josefa Mujia Rios Gustavo Jordan 2009 Maria Josefa Mujia Obra Completa Poesia prosa traducciones epistolario a Gabriel Rene Moreno La Paz ISBN 9789995405090 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maria Josefa Mujia amp oldid 1155620237, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
