Autobiography

Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 234K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Autobiografía by Rubén DaríoAuthor: Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916,Language: Spanish, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: May 11, 2016

Editor's review

Rubén Darío is a key figure of modernist poetry, and this autobiography, written in Spanish, is short but preserves his own first-person voice looking back on his life. Readers can see how a Latin American writer narrates his upbringing, travels, and literary connections, in a tone marked by a poet's sensitivity and self-reflection. It is suitable as an introductory text for understanding Darío the man and his work, and also as background reading alongside his poetry. As a public-domain e-book, the text is presented in the original language without translation, notes, or introduction, so a certain foundation in Spanish is needed. Overall, the value of this autobiography lies not in providing a complete chronicle but in presenting the poet's self-fashioning; it is suitable for careful reading by readers interested in Spanish-language literature and the modernist movement.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Advanced learners of Spanish who wish to engage with literary originals
Literature students studying Latin American modernist poetry
General readers interested in poets' autobiographies and self-writing
Poetry enthusiasts who need background on Rubén Darío's life

Not a good fit for

Readers without Spanish reading ability and without a parallel translation
Readers expecting a detailed chronological biography with extensive notes

Reading tips

Read a few representative poems by Darío first, then return to the autobiography to understand the context of his self-narration.
Prepare a Spanish dictionary or a parallel translation; when encountering long sentences, slow down and work through them paragraph by paragraph.
Take brief notes by chapter, recording people and places, to help connect the threads of his life.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this book written in?

The original is in Spanish, published by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book. The book includes no Chinese translation or notes, so a certain Spanish reading ability is needed before reading, or use a dictionary or parallel translation for support.

Does the autobiography cover Darío's entire life?

This autobiography is limited in length and is not a complete year-by-year life record; it is more the poet's retrospective account of his experiences and literary path. For a detailed chronological biography, consult other biographical materials.

Can I read it without any Spanish?

Reading the original directly would be quite difficult. It is advisable to first find a reliable Chinese translation or a bilingual edition, then return to the original for comparison; if you only want to learn about Darío's life, you may also start with related research works.

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About the author

Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916 Author

Rubén Darío (Darío, Rubén, 1867-1916) is a central figure of Spanish American modernismo, and his work was foundational for Latin American literature from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The library holds 22 of his works, including the poetry collections Azul..., Prosas Profanas, Cantos de Vida y Esperanza, Los Cisnes y otros poemas, El Canto Errante, and Poema del Otoño y otros poemas, as well as prose and story works such as Cuentos y crónicas, Todo al Vuelo, and La Caravana Pasa. His poetry is polished and musical, rich in symbol and sensory imagery, treating themes of life, hope, autumn, swans, and wandering, with a style both elegant and melancholic; his prose is flexible in tone, recording observations and impressions. He helped renew Spanish-language poetic form and deeply influenced later Latin American and Spanish-language literature. Public information is limited, and details of his birthplace, nationality, and specific experiences are not confirmed.