Vicenta García Miranda facts for kids

Vicenta García Miranda (born August 1816 – died 1877) was an important Spanish Romantic poet. She is known for her beautiful verses and for being a strong voice for women writers in her time.

Early Life and Inspiration

Vicenta García Miranda was born in Campanario, Spain, in August 1816. Her father, Antonio García Miranda, was a pharmacist who loved poetry and old books. He shared his passion with Vicenta.

Her father was sick for a long time, so her family moved to her uncle's house. This made it hard for her to study formally.

In 1833, she married Antonio Ángel de Salas, a medical student. They had a son in 1841, but he sadly passed away when he was less than a year old. Her husband also died in 1843. These sad times influenced many of her poems.

In 1845, Vicenta read a poem by another famous poet, Carolina Coronado. This poem deeply moved her and made her want to write her own poetry. It was like a new beginning for her.

Becoming a Poet

Vicenta wrote a poem called "La poetisa de aldea" (The Village Poetess). In this poem, she thought about what it was like to be a female poet, often working alone. She sent this poem and a letter to Carolina Coronado.

This started a long friendship between them. Coronado became not only a friend but also a mentor to Vicenta. Thanks to Coronado, one of Vicenta's poems was published in a magazine called El Guadiana. This poem was about Diego García de Paredes, who was also from Extremadura, Vicenta's home region.

Literary Connections and Fame

Vicenta became friends with other poets like Amalia Fenollosa [es], Manuela Cambronero, and Rogelia León. She also joined literary gatherings at the Liceo de Badajoz with María Cabezudo and Carolina Coronado.

The Liceo helped create a new academy where both men and women could be members. At its opening, Vicenta and other writers were honored. She read her poems there and wrote "Vamos a vindicar a Extremadura" (We are Going to Vindicate Extremadura) for the event. She was made a special member of the group, along with Robustiana Armiño [es].

Writing for Magazines

As her fame grew, Vicenta started writing for many different magazines. These included:

• Periódico científico, literario e industrial: This magazine was published four times a month.
• El Lirio and El despertador montañés: She wrote for these from 1849 to 1853.
• El Celtíbero de Segorbe (Castellón).
• Ellas; Órgano oficial del sexo femenino (Madrid): This magazine was edited by Alicia Pérez de Gascuña. Her poem "Alzad, hermosas, la abatida frente," which supported women's rights, appeared here.

Literary Gatherings and Later Years

From 1849 to 1875, Vicenta hosted a literary gathering at her home in Campanario. Intellectuals from the town would meet there every day.

In 1855, she published her only collection of poems, called Flores del valle. It had 75 poems. Her last known poems were written in 1865 and 1866. Some of these were written while she was staying at a health resort in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, on her doctor's advice.

Vicenta García Miranda passed away in Campanario in 1877.

While at Caldas da Rainha, she became friends with a doctor. In her letters to him, she shared her feelings about her health getting worse and her eyesight failing. But she also wrote about her poems and other writings. She explained that she first started writing to feel less lonely after her husband and son died. Later, having many literary friends and daily gatherings meant she didn't feel the same need to write as much.

Themes in Her Work

Vicenta García Miranda's book, Flores del valle, contains 75 poems with various themes.

Women's Role and Freedom

One important theme was the role of women and how they were often expected to be submissive to men. She wrote about the need for women to seek new opportunities and freedom. This connects to the Romantic idea of escaping reality and wanting freedom, which you can see in her poem "A una calandria." She also strongly supported women becoming poets, as shown in her poem "Alzad, hermosas, la abatida frente."

Nature and Self-Reflection

Another common theme in her poetry was nature. She valued the wild and untamed parts of nature, seeing them as a true reflection of her own poetic spirit.

The Lyrical Sisterhood

Carolina Coronado's poetry greatly influenced Vicenta García Miranda. Vicenta was seen as one of Coronado's followers.

Vicenta, along with Encarnación Calero de los Ríos, Robustiana Armiño [es], and Amalia Fenollosa [es], formed a group of poets. They shared their poems and wrote letters to each other. This group is known as the Hermandad Lírica (Lyrical Sisterhood). They were most active between 1845 and 1855.

Recognition

Today, there are streets named after Vicenta García Miranda in Badajoz and in her hometown of Campanario, honoring her contributions to poetry.

See also

In Spanish: Vicenta García Miranda para niños