Juan Ramón Jiménez
Juan Ramón Jiménez
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Juan Ramón Jiménez was a Spanish poet, writer, and educator who is widely regarded as one of the most important poets of his generation. He was born Juan Ramón Jiménez Lozano on December 23, 1881, in Moguer, Spain.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: December 23, 1881, in Moguer, Spain
Died: June 29, 1958, in San Fernando de Henares, Spain
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Jiménez was a Spanish national and held the professions of poet, writer, educator, and translator.
Early Life and Background
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Growing up in Moguer, Jiménez was raised by his parents, who instilled in him a love for literature and poetry. He spent much of his childhood reading and writing, developing a passion for Spanish literature that would stay with him throughout his life. After completing his education at the University of Seville, Jiménez began teaching English and Spanish in various schools in Spain.
Major Accomplishments
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Jiménez's most significant accomplishment is undoubtedly his poetry, which explores themes of love, nature, and human existence. He wrote over 60 collections of poetry, including Platero y yo (1934), for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. This collection tells the story of a young boy's relationship with his donkey, exploring themes of companionship, loyalty, and the human condition.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable works by Jiménez include:
Platero y yo (1934) - A poem about a young boy's friendship with his donkey, Platero.
Elegías (1911) - A collection of elegies that explore themes of love and loss.
* Diario de un poeta recién casado (1922) - A collection of poems written during his honeymoon.
Impact and Legacy
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Jiménez's poetry has had a profound impact on Spanish literature, influencing generations of writers and poets. His exploration of themes such as love, nature, and human existence continues to resonate with readers today. Jiménez's work is also notable for its innovative use of language and form, which helped pave the way for modernist poetry in Spain.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Jiménez is widely quoted and remembered for his poignant exploration of human experience through poetry. His ability to capture the beauty and simplicity of everyday life has made him a beloved figure in Spanish literature, and his influence can be seen in many other writers and poets who have followed in his footsteps.
"Poetry should not be read with one's eyes but with one's ears."
Quotes by Juan Ramón Jiménez
Some of my affectionate envious friends say, “You write too much.” Maybe, I answer. But as long as the best of your little is worse than the worst of my much, I will keep on doing so.
I unpetalled you, like a rose, to see your soul, and I didn’t see it. But everything around -horizons of land and of seas-, everything, out to the infinite, was filled with a fragrance, enormous and alive.
I do not cut my life up into days but my days into lives, each day, each hour, an entire life.
Literature is a state of culture, poetry is a state of grace, before and after culture.
The greatest assassin of life is haste, the desire to reach things before the right time which means overreaching them.
I unpetalled you, like a rose, to see your soul, and I didn't see it. But everything around -horizons of land and of seas-, everything, out to the infinite, was filled with a fragrance, enormous and alive.
The urban man is an uprooted tree, he can put out leaves, flowers and grow fruit but what a nostalgia his leaf, flower, and fruit will always have for mother earth!
I am not I. I am this one walking beside me whom I do not see, whom at times I manage to visit, and whom at other times I forget; who remains calm and silent while I talk, and forgives, gently, when I hate, who walks where I am not, who will remain standing when I die.