Nicolás Guillén: 1902-1989: Writer, Journalist, Social Activist Biography - Cuban Racism Influenced Early Work, Work Changed By Political Climate, Became The National Poet Of Cuba

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Nicolás Guillén: 1902-1989: Writer, journalist, social activist.

When Nicolás Guillén passed away in 1989, many Cubans felt that they had lost a voice in the fight for freedom. Over his illustrious career as a political journalist and revolutionary poet, he spoke out against everything from racism against blacks in Cuba to oppression stemming both from the Cuban government and the United States attempted occupation of the country. By the end of his career, he was known as the national poet of Cuba and a social activist without comparison.

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Nicolás Guillén: 1902-1989: Writer, Journalist, Social Activist - Cuban Racism Influenced Early Work

Nicolás Guillén was born on July 10, 1902, in the eastern Cuban town of Camaguey, in the same year that the Republic of Cuba was created. Guillén was the sixth child born to mother, Argelia Batista y Arrieta, and father, Nicolás Guillén y Urra. Guillén, a mulatto, was raised in a middle-class home by parents who were of mixed African and Spanish heritage. …

Nicolás Guillén: 1902-1989: Writer, Journalist, Social Activist - Work Changed By Political Climate

With Guillén's second book of poetry, Motivos de son, he achieved a critical success that immediately brought a level of acclaim to the young poet. Guillén was introducing his audience to a new form of poetry. Guillén used his African and Spanish heritage by combining African Creole dialects and language structures with more formal Spanish poetic traditions. The result …

Nicolás Guillén: 1902-1989: Writer, Journalist, Social Activist - Became The National Poet Of Cuba

With his return to Cuba, Guillén became Cuba's poet laureate of the new revolution. He would celebrate Castro's victory in a new collection of poems, Tengo, which praised the heroes of the revolution and depicted the battles against Batista. Guillén also noted the American embarrassment at the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Even with the success of the Cuban revolution, G…

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