Sunday, August 2, 2009

Panamanian Literature: Ricardo Miro and his poem Patria



Panamanian literature comprises all the literary works written in Panama. The first manifestations of literature written in Panama come from the 17th century with the title of "Llanto de Panama con la muerte de don Enrique Enriquez" (Crying from Panama at the Death of Don Enrique Enriquez.) which belongs to the group of works formed during the Colony, but it was not until the mid-19th century when the activity of Panamanian authors reached its maximum, and when literary production laid its foundations until the present time.

If someone asks a Panamanian about her/his native literature knowledge, 90 % of them will say something related to Ricardo Miro or his poem Patria (Homeland), and the reason why is because this famous writer who was born in Panama, Panama City,in November 5, 1883, is considered as the noteworthy poet of this country due to all his prominent literary works in which he used to reflect patriotic emotion and unified national feeling demostrating he was the first one thinking out of the box. Patria (Homeland) (Ricardo Miro's most famous poem), is also an outstanding icon that represents what Panamanian literature is, and there is just one fact for this, it is considered as our second national anthem because of its context and the realistic way it expresses how we got independent and how difficult it was for all of us. His poetry with its "themes of love, of patriotic emotion and of admiration on the presence of landscapes" unified national feeling and influenced the republic movement in Panama. In 1909, he published his poem " Native Land" where nostalgia stands out for the feels of being far from his land, which at the same time reaffirms his way of developing his poems. Miro is known as the national poet of Panama.

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