The New York herald., 1922-09-03
r We were to select one man as
having most influenced the

having most Influenced the
present literature Of Spanish
America there could hardly be
doubt that 1t would be Ruben Dario.
He was great poet as well as prose
writer and his life itself was of alb
sOrbing interest. He was the leader
Of the Spanish Modernista movement,
and he was able to be its leader be-
cause he impersonated all that was
characteristic in Spanish intellectu-
ality at the very time he was chang
ing it Indeed. no leader can be far
IN advance Of his generation.
Perhaps Nicaragua becomes famous
In literature with Dario. William
Walker had made it his own materi-
ally in the SOS and brought II
clearly into the American ken; but
Walker filibustered once too often
and was captured and shot on an
expedition into Honduras. Central
America and fits five little republics
went on their way, enjoying q Span
ish civilization, united only in the
wish to be let alone.
Ruben Dario was born In Nicaragua
In 1857 Of what he says in his auto
biography was marriage Of con-
venience-so much so that his par
ents separated before his birth and
he was brought Hb by a relative,
practically without knowing father
or mother. Three or four times hA
saw the pale and beautiful woman
he was told was his mother, but the
word meant nothing to him. The tie
of blood. he said, does not exist! He
was spiritually more Greek than
Spanish he had to use Spanish only
because it was his native speech. but
his nature was Greek-Greek of the
Renaissance rather than OF Athens.
and the Renaissance as interpreted
by the French of the eighteenth CEN
tury. And perhaps nowhere in the
world outside of Athens could natural
features and climate better recall
Hellas than those little republics.
with their old culture. sea and noun
tains so close together. even their
religion with much of the old panthe-
ism And the struggles of cuudHIos
for power were always under the
great shibboleths OF Liberty and the
like. The very wars. hand to hand
despite firearms, recalled Aristogei-
ton and Thefnistocles, in streets of
classic architecture. even though
cement took the place of stone and
whitewash must represent marble,
II we try to study Dario's life by
dates and places there results only
q confused impression of journeys
from, Nicaragua to San Salvador. or
Guatemala to Costa Rica. whether
for study. teaching or editing, all the |
while accompanied by versifying: for |
he was from the beginning known as |
the Child Poet. Later. when his
travels take in Chile. Argentina,
Spain and France, there Is hardly |
more continuity. We must first un-
derstand some of his characteristics
and surroundings
A Latin American has declared !
that poetry is limited to love. Words |
worth. Keats and others would be |
ruled out. but Ruben Dario at least |
would not contest the point He |
loved from his first recollection. He
can even say exactly when the SEN
suai feeling began. and by telling that |
one affair was pure removes all doubt |
as to the rest. For it was not as |
with Burns, when one woman in
spired him for this time and another
later. 1t is clear that his deity was
not the heavenly but the fleshly |
Venus To him the white shoulder,
nay. the white hip appealed. He |
could regret that the Serpent of /
Sex" was the constant tempter of |
his beloved Verlaine. but his own
autobiography Is only a variation
from one to the other theme Of Wine.
Woman and Song. Physical beauty
attracted him while the intellect of
woman Is unheeded. He speaks