Aurelio Arturo facts for kids

Aurelio Arturo Martínez (1906–1974) was a famous Colombian poet. He was also a translator, teacher, and lawyer. Even though he wrote only about seventy poems, many people think he is one of the most important Colombian poets of the 1900s.

Who Was Aurelio Arturo?

Aurelio Arturo was born in La Unión. This town is in the southern part of Nariño province. He was the first of seven children. His parents were Heriberto Arturo Martínez and Raquel Martínez Caicedo.

Early Life and Education

Aurelio studied law at university. At the same time, he also studied literature. He started publishing his poems early on. He used different pen names, called pseudonyms. His poems appeared in many newspapers and magazines. Some of these were El Espectador, Golpe de dados, and El Tiempo.

His work was first published in 1928. He became more well-known in 1931. This was when three of his poems were published. They appeared in Crónica Literaria. This was a special Sunday section of El País de Cali newspaper.

His Unique Poetic Style

Crónica Literaria was known for helping a group of poets called the "piedracielismo" generation. However, Aurelio Arturo had his own special style. He was known for following his own artistic path. He did not write like the "piedracielistas."

He was friends with some "piedracielistas." One friend was the poet Tomás Vargas Osorio. Tomás's death in 1941 made Aurelio very sad.

Family Life and Famous Work

In 1941, Aurelio Arturo married María Esther Lucio. They had five children together.

He wrote his most important work, Morada al Sur, in 1945. It was first published in a university magazine. This was also the title of his only book. It came out in 1963. This short but powerful book had fourteen poems. It won the important Guillermo Valencia National Poetry Prize in the same year.

His Career and Later Years

Besides being a poet, Aurelio Arturo was also a lawyer. He worked for the government in important jobs. He worked at the Colombian Embassy in the United States. He also worked at the University of Nariño.

He started and managed a literary radio show. It was called Voces del Mundo. Aurelio had some health problems in the early 1970s. He passed away in 1974 in Bogotá.

See also

In Spanish: Aurelio Arturo para niños