Rafael Obligado facts for kids
Rafael Obligado (born January 27, 1851 – died March 8, 1920) was an Argentine poet and playwright. He is known for his poems about the Argentine countryside and its people.
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Who Was Rafael Obligado?
Rafael Obligado was born in Argentina. His parents were María Jacinta Ortiz Urién and Luis Obligado y Saavedra. In the 1880s, people started calling him el poeta del Paraná. This means "the poet of the Paraná river".
He wrote poems about gauchos. Gauchos were skilled horsemen and cowboys from the South American plains. Even though his poems were about simple country life, he used very educated language. He was also inspired by French poetry of his time.
His Most Famous Work
Rafael Obligado became very well known in Argentina for his long poem called Santos Vega. This poem is about a gaucho who was also a payador. A payador was a special kind of musician and poet. They would travel around and sing their own songs. These songs often told stories or were part of a musical challenge.
His Family and Home
Rafael Obligado married Isabel Gómez Langenheim. In 1896, they built a country home. Isabel loved the stories of Sir Walter Scott, a famous writer. So, their home was designed to look like a castle from those stories. This beautiful home is called the Rafael Obligado Castle. It is located near Ramallo, Buenos Aires. It is one of the most important country estates, called estancias, in the Pampas region of Argentina.
His Work at the University
Obligado was also very important in education. He helped start the Department of Philosophy and Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He worked there as an Assistant Dean many times. In 1909, the university gave him a special award. It was an honorary doctorate. This award recognized his great contributions to learning.
Rafael Obligado passed away in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1920.
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Obligado para niños
