Eusebio Lillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eusebio Lillo
Born	Eusebio Lillo Robles Santiago, Chile
Died	Santiago, Chile
Occupation	Poet, writer, politician, businessman
Language	Spanish
Nationality	Chilean
Education	Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera
Period	Nineteenth century
Genre	Romanticism
Notable works	Chilean national anthem

Eusebio Lillo Robles (born August 14, 1826, in Santiago, Chile; died July 8, 1910) was a famous poet, journalist, and politician. He is best known for writing the words to the Chilean National Anthem.

Eusebio Lillo's Life Story

Eusebio Lillo grew up in Santiago, Chile. He lost his father when he was young. He went to the General José Miguel Carrera National Institute. There, he was a student of the famous Andres Bello. Eusebio loved to read from a young age. He even held raffles with his old books to help pay for his education.

Early Career and Writing

Eusebio was part of the Young Liberals of Chile. This group later became the "Sociedad de la Igualdad" (Equality Society). They worked to create a society where everyone was treated equally. He was also part of the "generation of 1842" in Chilean literature. This group brought the Romanticism style to writing in Chile.

From 1842, Eusebio worked with the "Sociedad Literaria de Santiago" (Santiago Literature Society). In 1844, he started writing for the newspaper "El Siglo." That same year, he won an award for his poem "Canto al dieciocho de septiembre" (Song of September 18).

In 1846, he stopped his studies to work for the Ministry of Interior. At the same time, he wrote for newspapers like El Mercurio de Valparaíso and El Comercio. These papers were from Valparaiso.

Writing the National Anthem

In 1847, a government minister asked Eusebio to write new words for the national anthem. This became his most famous work.

Exile and Return

Eusebio supported a revolution in 1851. This was an attempt to bring a more liberal government to power. Because of this, he was put in jail. He was first sentenced to death. But because he wrote the national anthem, his sentence was changed. He was sent away from Chile to Valdivia. From there, he escaped to Lima, Peru.

He returned to Chile in 1852. He worked as a journalist for the newspaper "La Patria" until 1857. Later, he moved to Bolivia. There, he helped start the Bank of La Paz. He also helped with Bolivia's mining industry.

Later Political Life

In 1878, Eusebio came back to Chile. He was chosen to be the mayor of Santiago. After that, he became the superintendent of Curicó. He also played a part in the War of the Pacific. He worked as a diplomat and secretary for a naval group. He represented Chile in peace talks in Arica in 1880. These talks were between Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, but they did not succeed. He also worked on secret talks between Chile and Bolivia.

He became a senator for the Talca region in 1882. In 1886, he became the Minister of the Interior. This was under the government of José Manuel Balmaceda. Eusebio became one of Balmaceda's closest friends. Balmaceda even asked him to keep his political will safe.

In 1888, Eusebio traveled around Europe. He came back to Santiago in 1889. As Balmaceda had asked, he published Balmaceda's political will.

Eusebio Lillo passed away in Santiago on July 8, 1910.

Eusebio Lillo's Works

Lillo's most famous work is the words to Chile's national anthem. He was also part of the "Generacion de 1842." This was a group of Chilean writers who brought the Romanticism style to their country.

Some of his poems

• Dos Almas
• La mujer limeña
• El Junco
• Rosa y Carlos
• El Imperial
• Una Lágrima
• Deseos
• Himno nacional (National Anthem)

See also

In Spanish: Eusebio Lillo para niños

• Chilean national anthem
• Chilean literature
• Romanticism