MARTI 19 DEMAYO

JoseMartiStatue-CentralParkNY

José Martí was born on January 28, 1853, in Havana, to a Spanish father, Mariano Martí Navarro, and Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a native of the Canary islands. Martí's father was a sergeant in the Spanish Army who was transferred to Cuba in 1850. However, once in Cuba, José's father changed jobs often. José was the oldest brother to seven sisters, two of which died when José was young. His family was poor, so his sisters would sew to make money and José would help his father with his paperwork for his job.
Martí was enrolled at St. Paul's School, which was a branch of the Municipal School for Boys in Havana, a local public school. Here, he met Rafael María de Mendive, an influential person in Martí's political thoughts. Mendive was a well known poet, teacher, editor, and patriot who firmly believed in Cuban independence. He taught Martí to appreciate poetry and literature, and urged him to become aware of the political and social situation in Cuba.^[1]
When Martí was still young, he witnessed a slave being hung from a tree when he was riding his horse in the countryside. Thus, he came to resent Spanish rule of his homeland at a young age; likewise, he developed a hatred of slavery, which was still practiced in Cuba.
When it came time for Martí to attend high school, Mendive offered to pay for his classes, as Martí's family could not afford the tuition. He attended the Instituto de Havana (1866-69), where Mendive encouraged Martí to write and engage in the literary activities at school. Martí became Mendive's helper and was allowed to borrow books from his library. In the afternoons, he would attend discussions of Mendive's older students and listen to them talk about things such as poetry, farming, the news and politics.^[2]
In 1869, he published his first political writings in the only edition of the newspaper El Diablo Cojuelo. That same year he published "Abdala," a patriotic drama in verse form, in the one-volume La Patria Libre. His famous sonnet, "10 de Octubre," was also written during that year, and was published later in his school newspaper.

 

In October 1869, Martí and his best friend, Fermín Valdés Domíngez, were laughing in Valdés' house when Spanish volunteers (police force) overheard the two boys and thought they were laughing at them. The volunteers searched Valdés' house and found a letter written by the two boys that criticized a fellow student of Mendive, who had joined the Spanish Army. Martí was arrested, then incarcerated in the national jail following an accusation of treason. Martí assumed responsibility and was condemned to six years in prison. His mother tried arduously to free her son, who was still a minor at the time, at 16, by writing letters to the government; his father went to a lawyer friend for legal support, but all efforts failed. Eventually Martí fell ill; his legs were severely lacerated due to the chains in which he was bound. He was therefore transferred to the Isla de Pinos instead for further imprisonment. Following that, the government decided to repatriate him to Spain.
Jose Marti
José Julián Martí y Pérez
His best and most revered works were his books for children, La Edad de Oro (The Golden Age) being the most widely read, and his poetry. Several of the verses from his collection of poems Versos Sencillos were later put to music as "Guantanamera," which has become one of Cuba's most recognizable melodies based on a traditional folk tune.
José Martí is often called the "Apostle of Cuban Independence"
José Martí was born on January 28, 1853, in Havana, to a Spanish father, Mariano Martí Navarro, and Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a native of the Canary islands. Martí's father was a sergeant in the Spanish Army who was transferred to Cuba in 1850. However, once in Cuba, José's father changed jobs often. José was the oldest brother to seven sisters, two of which died when José was young. His family was poor, so his sisters would sew to make money and José would help his father with his paperwork for his job.
Martí was enrolled at St. Paul's School, which was a branch of the Municipal School for Boys in Havana, a local public school. Here, he met Rafael María de Mendive, an influential person in Martí's political thoughts. Mendive was a well known poet, teacher, editor, and patriot who firmly believed in Cuban independence. He taught Martí to appreciate poetry and literature, and urged him to become aware of the political and social situation in Cuba.[1]
When Martí was still young, he witnessed a slave being hung from a tree when he was riding his horse in the countryside. Thus, he came to resent Spanish rule of his homeland at a young age; likewise, he developed a hatred of slavery, which was still practiced in Cuba.
When it came time for Martí to attend high school, Mendive offered to pay for his classes, as Martí's family could not afford the tuition. He attended the Instituto de Havana (1866-69), where Mendive encouraged Martí to write and engage in the literary activities at school. Martí became Mendive's helper and was allowed to borrow books from his library. In the afternoons, he would attend discussions of Mendive's older students and listen to them talk about things such as poetry, farming, the news and politics.[2]
In 1869, he published his first political writings in the only edition of the newspaper El Diablo Cojuelo. That same year he published "Abdala," a patriotic drama in verse form, in the one-volume La Patria Libre. His famous sonnet, "10 de Octubre," was also written during that year, and was published later in his school newspaper.


The Isla De Pinos (today called Isla de la Juventud) where Marti was sent before being repatriated to Spain.
In October 1869, Martí and his best friend, Fermín Valdés Domíngez, were laughing in Valdés' house when Spanish volunteers (police force) overheard the two boys and thought they were laughing at them. The volunteers searched Valdés' house and found a letter written by the two boys that criticized a fellow student of Mendive, who had joined the Spanish Army. Martí was arrested, then incarcerated in the national jail following an accusation of treason. Martí assumed responsibility and was condemned to six years in prison. His mother tried arduously to free her son, who was still a minor at the time, at 16, by writing letters to the government; his father went to a lawyer friend for legal support, but all efforts failed. Eventually Martí fell ill; his legs were severely lacerated due to the chains in which he was bound. He was therefore transferred to the Isla de Pinos instead for further imprisonment. Following that, the government decided to repatriate him to Spain.

Jose Marti
José Julián Martí y Pérez
His best and most revered works were his books for children, La Edad de Oro (The Golden Age) being the most widely read, and his poetry. Several of the verses from his collection of poems Versos Sencillos were later put to music as "Guantanamera," which has become one of Cuba's most recognizable melodies based on a traditional folk tune.
José Martí is often called the "Apostle of Cuban Independence"
José Martí was born on January 28, 1853, in Havana, to a Spanish father, Mariano Martí Navarro, and Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a native of the Canary islands. Martí's father was a sergeant in the Spanish Army who was transferred to Cuba in 1850. However, once in Cuba, José's father changed jobs often. José was the oldest brother to seven sisters, two of which died when José was young. His family was poor, so his sisters would sew to make money and José would help his father with his paperwork for his job.
Martí was enrolled at St. Paul's School, which was a branch of the Municipal School for Boys in Havana, a local public school. Here, he met Rafael María de Mendive, an influential person in Martí's political thoughts. Mendive was a well known poet, teacher, editor, and patriot who firmly believed in Cuban independence. He taught Martí to appreciate poetry and literature, and urged him to become aware of the political and social situation in Cuba.[1]
When Martí was still young, he witnessed a slave being hung from a tree when he was riding his horse in the countryside. Thus, he came to resent Spanish rule of his homeland at a young age; likewise, he developed a hatred of slavery, which was still practiced in Cuba.
When it came time for Martí to attend high school, Mendive offered to pay for his classes, as Martí's family could not afford the tuition. He attended the Instituto de Havana (1866-69), where Mendive encouraged Martí to write and engage in the literary activities at school. Martí became Mendive's helper and was allowed to borrow books from his library. In the afternoons, he would attend discussions of Mendive's older students and listen to them talk about things such as poetry, farming, the news and politics.[2]
In 1869, he published his first political writings in the only edition of the newspaper El Diablo Cojuelo. That same year he published "Abdala," a patriotic drama in verse form, in the one-volume La Patria Libre. His famous sonnet, "10 de Octubre," was also written during that year, and was published later in his school newspaper.


The Isla De Pinos (today called Isla de la Juventud) where Marti was sent before being repatriated to Spain.
In October 1869, Martí and his best friend, Fermín Valdés Domíngez, were laughing in Valdés' house when Spanish volunteers (police force) overheard the two boys and thought they were laughing at them. The volunteers searched Valdés' house and found a letter written by the two boys that criticized a fellow student of Mendive, who had joined the Spanish Army. Martí was arrested, then incarcerated in the national jail following an accusation of treason. Martí assumed responsibility and was condemned to six years in prison. His mother tried arduously to free her son, who was still a minor at the time, at 16, by writing letters to the government; his father went to a lawyer friend for legal support, but all efforts failed. Eventually Martí fell ill; his legs were severely lacerated due to the chains in which he was bound. He was therefore transferred to the Isla de Pinos instead for further imprisonment. Following that, the government decided to repatriate him to Spain.
En José Martí encontramos ya los rasgos que caracterizarían una de las épocas más fecundas no sólo para el arte, sino para todas las manifestaciones artísticas y humanas acaecidas con el cambio de siglo. Lo que se ha dado en llamar Modernismo surge ya en su prosa audaz y en su profunda poesía, pero no sólo ahí, sino en cualquiera de las demás expresiones literarias que conforman un todo en el caso de Martí.
Martí periodista
Entre 1880 y 1892, José Martí publicó más de cuatrocientas crónicas sobre Hispanoamérica, Estados Unidos y Europa, así como un centenar de acertados y bellos retratos. Su publicación corrió a cargo de diarios como La Nación de Buenos Aires, La Opinión Nacional de Caracas, La Opinión Pública de Montevideo, La República de Tegucigalpa, El Partido Liberal de México y Las Américas de Nueva York. En el conjunto de su obra, la parte periodística ocupa voluminosamente casi la mitad de su producción literaria, dato que redunda si observamos que la mayoría del resto de su producción apareció primeramente publicada en periódicos.
No se debe menospreciar este aspecto no ya en la obra de Martí, sino en la de otros autores modernistas como él, pues la prensa escrita fue el medio de difusión de un estética identificativa de un grupo muy amplio de escritores, pensadores y artistas de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX. En Martí, por ejemplo, sus crónicas sirvieron para introducir elementos tan variopintos y alejados entre sí como los consejos para dormir con gorra, las nuevas vajillas para tomar el té, las guerras y la política internacional, la educación, la arquitectura, la moda y todos aquellos adelantos vinculados a la ciencia y a la literatura. Todo ello no fue óbice para que reflexionara sobre la ética y la condición humana mediante imágenes detalladas, información exhaustiva, gracejo narrativo y un estilo personalísimo que le llevó a ser una de las más genuinas personalidades periodísticas del momento, entremezclando rasgos del género en Francia con otros adquiridos en su estancia en Nueva York, donde colaboró en algunos diarios como The Hour o The Sun.
I Cultivate a White RoseBy Jose Marti
I cultivate a white rose
In July as in January
For the sincere friend
Who gives me his hand frankly.
And for the cruel person who tears out
the heart with which I live,
I cultivate neither nettles nor thorns:
I cultivate a white rose. Cultivo Una Rosa BlancaPor Jose Marti
Cultivo una rosa blanca
En julio como en enero,
Para el amigo sincero
Que me da su mano franca.
Y para el cruel que me arranca
El corazon con que vivo,
Cardo ni ortiga cultivo,
Cultivo una rosa blanca.　 (January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895), better known as José Martí, was a leader of the Cuban independence movement from Spain and a renowned poet and writer. Martí devoted his life to Cuban independence and firmly believed in the principles of freedom, tolerance, and love. A man of letters who died a patriot's death on the battlefield, he is the Cuban people's national hero and is often referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence." He is also considered the Father of Modernism in Latin-American literature, predating and influencing Rubén Darío and other poets, such as Gabriela Mistral. (January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895), better known as José Martí, was a leader of the Cuban independence movement from Spain and a renowned poet and writer. Martí devoted his life to Cuban independence and firmly believed in the principles of freedom, tolerance, and love. A man of letters who died a patriot's death on the battlefield, he is the Cuban people's national hero and is often referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence." He is also considered the Father of Modernism in Latin-American literature, predating and influencing Rubén Darío and other poets, such as Gabriela Mistral.