Ernestina de Champourcín facts for kids

Ernestina de Champourcín Morán de Loredo (born 10 July 1905 in Vitoria-Gasteiz – died 27 March 1999 in Madrid) was an important Spanish poet. She is best known for being part of a famous group of writers called the Generation of '27.

Ernestina de Champourcin in 1996

Growing Up and Becoming a Poet

Ernestina Michels de Champourcín Morán de Loredo was born into a Catholic family that valued education. She learned many languages and grew up in a cultured home. Her father was a lawyer and had the title of Baron of Champourcín, which showed his family came from France. Her mother, Ernestina Morán de Loredo Castellanos, was born in Montevideo and traveled often.

Around age 10, Ernestina moved with her family to Madrid. She went to the College of the Sacred Heart and studied at home. She wanted to go to university, but her father did not agree, even though her mother supported her.

Ernestina was very good at French and English. She started writing poetry in French when she was very young. Later, she used her language skills to work as a translator for a Mexican publishing company called Fondo de Cultura Económica for about 15 years.

She loved reading and grew up with books by famous writers like Victor Hugo and Teresa of Jesus. Later, she read works by Juan Ramón Jiménez, who became her most important teacher and mentor.

First Poems and New Friends

Ernestina's first poems appeared in magazines starting in 1923. In 1926, Maria de Maeztu and Concha Méndez started the Lyceum Club Femenino. This club helped women connect and support each other in culture and society. Ernestina joined and helped with literature.

In the same year, she published her first book, En silencio. She sent a copy to Juan Ramón Jiménez. Even though he didn't reply, she met him and his wife, Zenobia Camprubí and Aymar, by chance. They became good friends, and Juan Ramón guided her poetry. Through him, she also met other poets of the Generation of '27, such as Rafael Alberti, Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Jorge Guillén, Pedro Salinas, and Vicente Aleixandre.

In 1927, Ernestina began writing literary reviews for newspapers. She wrote about "pure poetry" and the new style of poetry that the Generation of '27 was creating. She felt she was part of this group. She published more books in Madrid: Ahora (1928), La voz en el viento (1931), and Cántico inútil (1936). These books made her well-known. Her poetry changed from an early style, influenced by Juan Ramón Jiménez, to a more personal style about love. Because of her talent, Gerardo Diego included her in his Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Poetry in 1934.

In 1930, while working at the Lyceum Club Femenino, she met Juan José Domenchina, a poet and secretary to Manuel Azaña. They got married on 6 November 1936.

War and Life in Exile

Just before the Spanish Civil War began, Ernestina published her only novel, La casa de enfrente. This book was important because it showed how young women from wealthy families were raised and educated in the early 1900s. It also showed Ernestina as a writer with moderately feminist ideas.

During the Civil War, Juan Ramón Jiménez and his wife started a group to help orphaned children. Ernestina joined as a nurse's assistant. Because of her husband's work as a political secretary, they had to leave Madrid. They traveled through Spain and France before being invited to Mexico in 1939 by diplomat Alfonso Reyes. Mexico became their new home in exile.

At first, Ernestina wrote poems for magazines, but she also needed to work to earn money. She continued working as a translator for the Mexican publishing house Fondo de Cultura Económica.

However, her time in Mexico became very productive for her poetry. She published Presencia a oscuras (1952), Cárcel de los sentidos (1960), and El nombre que me diste (1960) during these years.

Many other poets from the Generation of '27 also went into exile in America. Ernestina and her husband did not have children, and they dealt with being away from their home country differently. Her husband, Juan José Domenchina, found it hard to adapt and died in 1959. Ernestina, however, grew to feel a strong connection to Mexico. During this time, her poetry became more spiritual. In 1952, she joined Opus Dei. She wrote Hai-kais espirituales (1967), Cartas cerradas (1968), and Poemas del ser y del estar (1972).

Coming Back Home

In 1972, Ernestina returned to Spain. It was not easy to adapt to her own country again. This experience led to new feelings that she wrote about in books like Primer exilio (1978). Her later poems, such as La pared transparente (1984) and Huyeron todas las islas (1988), were filled with feelings of loneliness, old age, and memories of places and people from her past.

She also published La ardilla y la rosa (Juan Ramón en mi memoria) (1981), which included letters she exchanged with Zenobia Camprubí.

Later Life and Recognition

Ernestina de Champourcín died in Madrid on 27 March 1999. Her personal writings are kept at the University of Navarra.

For a long time, Ernestina's work was not as well-known as it should have been. Some people believe this was because her poetry became very spiritual. Also, she was not clearly on one political side, which sometimes meant her work was overlooked.

Even though Ernestina was truly an equal among the male poets of the Generation of '27, it took time for her to be fully recognized in Spain. However, she did receive several important awards later in her life:

• The Euskadi Prize for Literature in Castilian (Poetry) in 1989.
• The Progressive Woman Prize.
• A nomination for the Prince of Asturias Prize for Letters in 1992.
• The Medal for Artistic Merit from the Madrid City Council in 1997.

Her Poetry Through the Years

Ernestina's poetry can be divided into three main periods:

First Period: Human Love

This period includes her first four books published before the Civil War, from En silencio (1926) to Cántico inútil (1936). In these works, her style changed from an older, romantic style to a "pure poetry" that was very similar to Juan Ramón Jiménez's work.

Second Period: Divine Love

After a break in her writing when she first went into exile in Mexico (because she needed to work), her poetry changed. This period, from 1936 to 1974, focuses on divine love. It began with Presencia a oscuras (1952). Instead of human love, her poems now explored deep religious feelings. Books from this time include El nombre que me diste... (1960), Cárcel (1964), Hai-kais espirituales (1967), Cartas cerradas (1968), and Poemas del ser y del estar (1972).

Third Period: Memories of Love

This final period began when she returned from exile in 1974. Ernestina faced new challenges as she tried to adjust to her home country again. Her later books, like Huyeron todas las islas (1988), are filled with memories and reflections on her life, both personal and spiritual.

Works

Ernestina de Champourcín wrote many books of poetry throughout her life. Here are some of her most important works:

• En silencio. Madrid, 1926.
• Ahora. Madrid, 1928.
• La voz en el viento. Madrid, 1931.
• Cántico inútil. Madrid, 1936.
• Presencia a oscuras. Madrid, 1952.
• El nombre que me diste.... México, 1960.
• Cárcel de los sentidos. México, 1964.
• Hai-kais espirituales. México, 1967.
• Cartas cerradas. México, 1968.
• Poemas del ser y del estar. Madrid, 1972.
• Primer exilio. Madrid, 1978.
• La pared transparente. Madrid, 1984.
• Huyeron todas las islas. Madrid, 1988.
• Los encuentros frustrados. Málaga, 1991.
• Del vacío y sus dones. Madrid, 1993.
• Presencia del pasado (1994–1995). Málaga, 1996.

See also

In Spanish: Ernestina de Champourcín para niños