Name: Gabriela Mistral
Year Won: 1945
Read: Selected Poems
Original Language: Spanish (note - read in Spanish and English)
Reason: "for her lyric poetry, which inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world"
About: Gabriela's poetry is poetry, so doesn't follow a plot. But it's lyrical, dark, and moving. She speaks movingly of passion - the passion of lovers, the enduring love of children, the pain of heartbreak, of loss, and spirtuality. Throughout it, there's an interesting intersection between the mudane and the spiritual, the divine and ordinary. There's a darkness through all of them as well.
It is also of some interest that Mistral was the first Latin American to win a Nobel prize for literature. (Long overdue!)
What I liked: The poetry is deeply beautiful and there's a thread of darkness that keeps them from feeling trite. In addition, she has a way of choosing words that make you think. (e.g. I rarely hear of a seed being described as violent, but it works in her poetry.
What I Disliked: Not much. Some poems are better than others (as is always the case), but her poetry is breath taking, even in translation. This has been one of my favorites so far. (And, honestly, I prefer her to Yeats.)
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. Aside from them being long overdue in awarding a Latin American (and that their ratio of men to women has been pretty lopsided so far), Mistral's poetry is truly breathtaking. She deserves all the praise.
Next Up: Sidhartha by Hermann Hesse
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