Contribution to Book
José Martí: The World's Most Popular Poetry, and a Vision for the Americas
A Companion to World Literature
(2019)
Abstract
This chapter begins with a capsule biographical sketch that situates José Martí as an agent of decolonization. It discusses Martí's place in literature, especially Spanish American letters, his transcultural importance, his work in translation, his role in the history of Cuban–US relations, and his vision for US relations with Latin America. It demonstrates the extraordinary international reach of his most popular writing by giving close attention to how two works, a book of poetry, Simple Verses (Versos Sencillos) and an essay, “Our America” (“Nuestra América”) have come to represent him to an increasingly broad audience.
Keywords
- children's literature,
- Ralph Waldo Emerson,
- Guantanamera,
- “Our America” (“Nuestra América”),
- race relations,
- Simple Verses (Versos Sencillos),
- Spanish American modernismo,
- translation,
- US–Cuban relations
Disciplines
Publication Date
December 19, 2019
Editor
Ken Seigneurie
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc
ISBN
9781118635193
DOI
10.1002/9781118635193
Publisher Statement
This work was published by John Wiley & Sons Inc. in A Companion to World Literature, volume 5, 2019.
Citation Information
Anne O Fountain. "José Martí: The World's Most Popular Poetry, and a Vision for the Americas" A Companion to World Literature Vol. 5 (2019) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/anne_fountain/71/