Selected Writings

Born in Nicaragua, Rub n Dar o is known as the consummate leader of the Modernista movement, an esthetic trend that swept the Americas from Mexico to Argentina at the end of the nineteenth century. Seeking a language and a style that would distinguish the newly emergent nations from the old imperial power of Spain, Dar o's writing offered a refreshingly new vision of the world--an artistic sensibility at once cosmopolitan and connected to the rhythms of nature. The first part of this collection presents Dar o's most significant poems in a bilingual format and organized thematically in the way Dar o himself envisioned them. The second part is devoted to Dar o's prose, including short stories, fables, profiles, travel writing, reportage, opinion pieces, and letters. A sweeping biographical introduction by distinguished critic Ilan Stavans places Dar o in historical and artistic context, not only in Latin America but in world literature.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.


About the Author
Rubén Darío (1867-1916) gained prominence in Azul..., the publication of which sparked the Modernista movement in the Spanish-speaking Americas.

Ilan Stavans is Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and the author or editor of numerous books.

Andrew Hurley is a translator of numerous works of literature, criticism, history, and memoir. He is professor emeritus at the University of Puerto Rico.