Guatemalan Literature - Guatemalan Literature After Independence: The Nineteenth Century

Guatemalan Literature After Independence: The Nineteenth Century

Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821, in its desire to establish political and commercial relations with other countries. The literature during this period is marked by political strife, which dominated the essay and treatise genres. This era also saw the birth of journalism in Guatemala, with figures like Antonio José de Irisarri

During the 19th century Guatemalan literature began to develop independently from Spanish literature, though it continued to incorporate European influences. Important writers of this era include María Josefa García Granados and José Batres Montúfar (known simply as "Pepe Batres"), who co-wrote the "Sermón para José María Castilla", a work that was scandalous at the time. Batres is also the author of the poem "Yo pienso en ti", one of the best known of Guatemalan literature.

In the second half of the 19th century, the novel dominated Guatemalan literature, thanks especially to José Milla y Vidaurre, considered the father of the Guatemalan novel. He signed some of his works with the pseudonym "Salomé Jil", an anagram of his name. Major works by Milla y Vidaurre include La hija del Adelantado (1866), Los Nazarenos (1867), El visitador (1867), and El libro sin nombre.

Guatemalan writers also participated in Latin American modernism, heir to French symbolism and Parnassianism and driven by the Nicaraguan Rubén Darío. In poetry, important writers included Domingo Estrada, Máximo Soto Hall, and María Cruz. The versatile writer Enrique Gómez Carrillo represented modernism in prose.