Hispanic Modernism and insularity: translation and reception of the Parnasse in Puerto Rico (20th c.)

Abstract

Beyond the events of the Spanish-American war, 1898 was a landmark in the development of Hispanic poetry. After the end of the 19th century, which was dominated by the patterns of Romanticism and Parnassianism, the entry into the 20th century was primarily conducted by the adaptation of Symbolism. However, Puerto Rico had a special context due to its insularity and Independence wars, what led to the abidance of 19th century patterns. Between Moll Boscana’s Mi misa rosa (1904) and Lago’s Cofre de sándalo (1927), the Parnassian canon actively ruled the directions of the Puerto Rican Modernism, thus slowing down the assimilation of Decadentism, Symbolism, Avant-garde and the entry of modernity in the island.