Guillermo Valencia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guillermo Valencia
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Guillermo Valencia Castillo
October 29, 1873 |
| Died | July 8, 1943 (aged 69) Popayán, Colombia
|
| Occupation | Poet, translator |
| Spouse(s) | Josefina Muñoz de Valencia |
| Children | Guillermo León Valencia Josefina Valencia Muñoz |
| Parent(s) | Joaquín Valencia Quijano Adelaida Castillo Silva |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Guillermo Valencia Castillo (born October 29, 1873, died July 8, 1943) was an important Colombian poet, translator, and politician. He was born and passed away in Popayán, Colombia. Guillermo Valencia helped start the Modernism movement in Colombian writing. He was also a member of the Colombian Conservative Party. He had five children, including Guillermo León Valencia, who later became the President of Colombia (1962–1966), and Josefina Valencia Muñoz, who was a Governor.
Contents
About Guillermo Valencia's Life
Guillermo Valencia was the son of Joaquín Valencia Quijano and Adelaida Castillo Silva. He became an orphan when he was eight years old. He went to school and studied in Medellín, a major city in Colombia.
His Writing Career
Guillermo Valencia's first book of poems was called Ritos (which means "Rites"). It came out in 1899. This book made him famous both in Colombia and in other countries. It showed him as a leader of the Modernist movement. This style of writing used new and interesting images.
He also had a poetry magazine called Paginas de Anarkos. Many important Colombian writers of that time were featured in it. The magazine also included drawings by famous artists like Santiago Martinez Delgado.
Guillermo Valencia did not write a lot of original poems later in his life. Instead, he focused on translating works from other languages. One of his translations was Catay (1928). This book was a collection of Chinese poems. He translated it from a French version called La Flute de Jade. He also translated The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1932) by the 19th-century writer Oscar Wilde from English. He also wrote many essays, which are collected in a book called Panegíricos, discursos y artículos (1933).
His Political Career
Guillermo Valencia was also very active in politics and worked as a diplomat. He ran for president of Colombia two times. He was a candidate in the 1918 and 1930 elections.
In 1918, he lost the election to Marco Fidel Suárez. In 1930, he lost the presidential election to Enrique Olaya Herrera, who was from the Liberal party.
Guillermo Valencia's Family Life
Guillermo Valencia married Josefina Muñoz Muñoz in 1908. They had five children together. He was also the grandfather of Pedro Felipe Valencia López, who became a Colombian politician.
Honors and Awards
The house where Guillermo Valencia lived and died was turned into a museum. It is now called the Guillermo Valencia National Museum. A theater in Popayán, Colombia, was also named after him. There is even a national poetry prize in Colombia that is named in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Guillermo Valencia para niños
