José María Vaca de Guzmán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José María Vaca de Guzmán
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| Born | 5 April 1744 |
| Died | c. 1816 |
| Known for | first laureate poet for the Royal Spanish Academy |
José María Vaca de Guzmán (born April 5, 1744 – died around 1816) was an important Spanish figure. He was a statesman (someone involved in government), a poet (who writes poems), and a literary critic (who judges books and writings). He lived during the Neoclassic period, which was a time when people looked back to ancient Greek and Roman styles for art and literature.
Contents
A Life of Learning and Service
José María Vaca de Guzmán was born in a town called Marchena. He loved to learn from a young age.
Early Education and Law
He first studied in the city of Seville. Later, he went to the University of Alcalá where he earned a doctorate in law. This means he became a highly educated expert in legal matters. After his studies, he became the rector (a high-ranking leader) of the Minor College of Santiago.
Working for the Government
José María Vaca de Guzmán also held important jobs in the government. He became like a mayor for the legal offices in Granada. He also worked as a minister in the Audiencia (a high court) of Cataluña. In 1789, he was asked to join the king's council, which was a group of advisors to the king.
A Prize-Winning Poet
José María Vaca de Guzmán was very talented at writing poetry. He became famous for his epic poems.
First Laureate Poet
He was the very first laureate poet for the Royal Spanish Academy. This was a huge honor, like winning a major national award for poetry. He won this prize for his long poem called Las naves de Cortés destruidas (which means The ships of Cortez destroyed). This poem was written in a special style called octaves, which are stanzas with eight lines. He won this award in 1778. Another famous poet, Nicolás Fernández de Moratín, was also competing for the same award.
Another Award-Winning Epic
The Royal Spanish Academy recognized his talent again in 1779. They gave him another award for his epic poem titled Granada rendida (meaning Surrender of Granada). This time, his competitor was Leandro Fernández de Moratín, who was the son of Nicolás Fernández.
See also
