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César Vallejo

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César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza was a Peruvian poet, writer, playwright, and journalist. He is considered one of the greatest poetic innovators of the 20th century. Some literary experts have even called him the greatest poet in any language during that era.

UNMSM Monumento Cesar Vallejo
UNMSM Monumento Cesar Vallejo

Although he only published two books of poetry while he was alive, his influence was massive. His work changed how writers used language to express deep human emotions. Today, his poems are studied globally for their unique structure and power.

Vallejo's writing process involved breaking traditional rules of grammar and vocabulary. In his 1922 book, *Trilce*, he used radical techniques to push language to its limits. He invented new words and stretched syntax, which means the arrangement of words in a sentence. This style is often linked to surrealism, a movement that explores the subconscious. By using these methods, Vallejo placed Latin American literature at the center of the global avant-garde movement.

Vallejo 2
Vallejo 2

His literary career included several distinct stages and types of work. He began with *Los heraldos negros*, a collection published in 1919. This work was heavily influenced by the Peruvian writer Manuel González Prada. Later, he moved into much more experimental territory with *Trilce*. He also wrote short stories, such as *Escalas melografiadas* and *Fabla salvaje*. Beyond poetry, he wrote five plays that were not performed during his life. He even authored a book for children titled *Paco Yunque*.

Vallejo's life began in the remote Andean village of Santiago de Chuco. He was the youngest of eleven children born to Francisco de Paula Vallejo Benítez and María de los Santos Mendoza Gurrionero. His heritage was a mix of Spanish and indigenous Peruvian roots. As a young man, he worked at the Roma Hacienda sugar plantation. This period was significant because he witnessed the exploitation of agrarian workers. These observations deeply impacted his later political views and his artistic style.

His life was marked by intense legal and personal struggles. In 1920, he was unjustly accused of participating in the looting of a local house. He was arrested and spent 112 days in a Trujillo jail. This period lasted from November 6, 1920, until February 26, 1921. Later, a lawyer named Eduardo González Viaña revealed that the judicial documents used against Vallejo were fabricated. The judge and his enemies had invented testimonies to imprison the poet.

Vallejo1
Vallejo1

To avoid further trouble, Vallejo emigrated to Europe in 1923. He spent most of his remaining years in Paris, France. His life there was characterized by extreme poverty. During one period, he shared this financial struggle with the famous artist Pablo Picasso. He became very politically active, joining the Peruvian Communist Party in 1931. He also traveled to the USSR and spent time in exile in Spain.

Vallejo 2
Vallejo 2

Vallejo's final years were filled with intense creative activity despite his hardships. He wrote *España, aparta de mí este cáliz*, which uses symbols to discuss the Spanish Civil War. This book views the conflict as a struggle between good and evil. He also produced *Poemas humanos*, a collection of socially oriented poems. This book was published posthumously by his widow, Georgette Vallejo. She played a crucial role in preserving his literary legacy after his death.

Vallejo passed away in Paris on April 15, 1938. He had been suffering from physical exhaustion and a reactivation of malaria. His death has connected his work to various other cultural fields. For example, the Indonesian composer Ananda Sukarlan set his poems to music for baritone and piano. In literature, his life was fictionalized in the novel *Monsieur Pain* by Roberto Bolaño. Today, monuments in Peru, such as the one at the National University of San Marcos, honor his memory.

UNMSM Monumento Cesar Vallejo
UNMSM Monumento Cesar Vallejo
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