José Martí 188158 216017734 2008-05-30T18:33:19Z Cydebot 1215485 Robot - Moving category Spanish-Cubans to Cubans of Spanish descent per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 May 24]]. {{Otherpeople}} {{Infobox writer | name = José Martí | image = Jose_Marti.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = | pseudonym = | birthname = José Julián Martí Pérez | birthdate = [[January 28]], [[1853]] | birthplace = [[Havana]], [[Cuba]] | deathdate = [[May 19]], [[1895]] | deathplace = | occupation = poet, writer, nationalist leader | nationality = Cuban | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = Modernismo | notableworks = | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = [[Rubén Darío]], [[Gabriela Mistral]] | awards = | signature = | website = }} '''José Julián Martí Pérez''' ([[January 28]], [[1853]]&ndash;[[May 19]], [[1895]]) was a leader of the [[Cuba]]n independence movement from [[Spain]] and as well a renowned [[poetry|poet]] and [[writer]]. He is considered the national [[hero]] of Cuba and often referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence". In many literary circles he is considered the Father of [[Modernismo]] predating and influencing [[Rubén Darío]] and influencing other poets such as [[Gabriela Mistral]]. ==Early life and imprisonment== [[Image:JoseMartiStatue-CentralParkNY.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Statue of José Martí on horseback in New York's Central Park - [[Anna Hyatt Huntington]], 1959]] José Martí was born on [[January 28]], [[1853]], in [[Havana]], to a Spanish father Mariano Martí Navarro and Leonor Pérez Cabrera, a native of the [[Canary Islands]]. Marti was the oldest brother to seven sisters. When he was four years old, his family moved from Cuba to [[Valencia (city in Spain)|Valencia]], Spain, but two years later they returned to the island where they enrolled José at a local public school. In this school, he met Rafael María de Mendive, a person influential in the development of Marti's political philosophies. Aside from being a writer, poet, translator, diplomat and [[journalist]], José Martí was also a [[painter]]. In 1867, he enrolled at the Professional School for Painting and Sculpting of Havana to take drawing classes. He hoped to succeed in this work, but did not find commercial success. In 1869, he published his first political writings in the only edition of the newspaper ''El Diablo Cojuelo.'' That same year he published "Abdala," a patriotic drama in [[Verse (poetry)|verse]] form in the one-volume ''La Patria Libre.'' His famous sonnet "10 de octubre" was also written during that year, which was published later in his school newspaper. Despite this success, in March of that year, colonial authorities shut down the school, interrupting Martí's studies. He came to resent Spanish rule of his homeland at a young age; likewise, he developed a hatred of [[slavery]], which was still practiced in Cuba. On 21 October 1869, he was arrested, then incarcerated in the national jail following an accusation of [[treason]] from the Spanish government. More than four months later, Martí assumed responsibility of the charges and was condemned to six years in prison. His mother tried arduously to free her son (who at sixteen was still a minor) by writing letters to the government; his father went to a lawyer friend for legal support, but all efforts failed. Eventually Martí fell ill; his legs were severely lacerated due to the chains attached to him. Therefore, he was transferred by the General to another part of Cuba known as [[Isla de Pinos]] instead of further imprisonment. Following that, they decided to repatriate him to Spain. ==Years of exile== In Spain, he studied law and wrote articles on the wrongs of Spanish rule in Cuba, including "El presidio político en Cuba" in 1871. Martí completed his studies, graduated with a bachelor of arts, and obtained his license in [[civil rights]]. He then traveled to [[France]], where he spent some time before secretly returning to Cuba under an assumed name in 1877. He was unable to obtain any employment until he accepted a job as a professor of history and literature in [[Guatemala City]]. In 1878, he returned to Havana and found work there. His son, Jose Francisco was born there. However, the next year, he was arrested and deported to Spain again. His wife and son remained in Cuba. In 1881, Martí moved to [[New York City]] serving as a joint consul there for [[Uruguay]], [[Paraguay]], and [[Argentina]]. He mobilized the Cuban exile community, especially in [[Ybor City]] ([[Tampa]] area) and [[Key West]], [[Florida]], to [[revolution]] and independence from Spain, while lobbying to oppose U.S. annexation of Cuba, which some American politicians desired. In January 1892 he founded "El Partido Revolucionario Cubano", the Cuban Revolutionary Party, with the purpose of gaining independence for both Cuba and [[Puerto Rico]]. In 1894, he left planning to land in Cuba and fight for revolution, but was intercepted in Florida.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} [[Image:Martistatue.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Statue of José Martí, Parque Central, Havana, by [[José Vilalta Saavedra]], 1905]] ==Return to Cuba== On [[March 25]], [[1895]], José Marti published the [[Manifesto of Montecristi]] together with Máximo Gómez, proclaiming Cuban independence, an end to all legal distinctions between the races, friendship with Spaniards who did not oppose the independence, and war with all who stood in the way of independence. On [[April 11]], [[1895]], Martí landed in Cuba with a small force of rebel exiles, including the Generalísimo [[Máximo Gómez|Máximo Gómez y Báez]]. Upon reuniting with the Ejercito Libertador, Martí was given the grade of Major General. In the early days of May, he and Gómez met at La Mejorana with Major General Antonio Maceo y Grajales, who was second in command of the Army after Gómez. Nobody really knows what was discussed, the only record being Martí's diary, and the pages concerning that day were missing. ==Death== José Martí was killed in battle with Spanish troops at the [[Battle of Dos Ríos]] on [[May 19]], [[1895]]. Gómez had recognized that the Spaniards had a strong position between palm trees, so he ordered to disengage. Martí was alone and seeing a young courier ride by he said: "Joven, a la carga" meaning: "Young man, let's charge!" This was around midday, and he was, as always, dressed in a black jacket, riding a white horse, which made him an easy target for the Spanish. The young trooper, Angel de la Guardia,lost his horse and returned to report the loss. The Spanish took possession of the body, buried it close by, then exhumed the body upon realization of its identity. They are said not to have burned him because they were scared that the ashes would get into their throats and asphyxiate them. He is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia in [[Santiago de Cuba]]. Many have argued that Maceo and others had always spurned Martí for never participating in combat, which may have compelled Martí to that ill-fated suicidal two-man charge. Some of his "[[Versos sencillos]]" bore premonition: "Que no me entierren en lo oscuro/ A morir como un traidor/ Yo soy bueno y como bueno/ Moriré de cara al sol." ("May they not bury me in darkness / to die like a traitor / I am good, and as a good man / I will die facing the sun.") ==As a Translator== José Martí is usually honored as a great [[poet]], patriot and martyr of [[History of Cuba#Independence from Spain|Cuban Independence]], but he was also a [[translator]] of some note. Although he translated literary material for the sheer joy of it, much of the translating he did was imposed on him by economic necessity during his many years of exile in the [[United States]]. Martí learned [[English language|English]] at an early age, and had begun to translate at thirteen. He continued translating for the rest of his life, including his time as a student in Spain, although the period of his greatest productivity was during his stay in [[New York City|New York]] from 1880 until he returned to [[Cuba]] in 1895. In New York he was what we would today call a "[[freelance]]" as well as an "[[in house]]" translator. He translated several books for the publishing house of D. [[Appleton]], and did a series of translations for newspapers. As a revolutionary activist in Cuba's long struggle for independence he translated into English a number of articles and pamphlets supporting that movement. In addition to fluent English, Marti also spoke French, Italian, Latin and Classical Greek fluently, the latter learned so he could read the Greek classical works in the original. There was clearly a dichotomy in Martí's feeling about the kind of work he was translating. Like many professionals, he undertook for money translation tasks which had little intellectual or emotional appeal for him. De la Cuesta illustrates this nicely with a quotation in which Martí reflects on his translation projects in February 1883, writing to his sister Amelia: ''Anoche puse fin a la traducción de un libro de lógica que me ha parecido - a pesar de tener yo por maravillosamente inútiles tantas reglas pueriles - preciosísimo libro, puesto que con el producto de su traducción puedo traer a mi padre a mi lado.'' Although Martí never presented a systematic theory of translation nor did he write extensively about his approach to translation, he did jot down occasional thoughts on the subject which are of value: ''yo creo que traducir es transpensar ... traducir es pensar en español lo que en su idioma ellos (los autores) pensaron ... traducir es estudiar, analizar, ahondar.'' His awareness of the translator's dilemma of the faithful versus the beautiful is evidenced in his belief that ''la traducción debe ser natural para que parezca como si el libro hubiese sido escrito en la lengua al que lo traduces, que en esto se conocen las buenas traducciones'' and ''ve pues el cuidado con que hay que traducir, para que la traducción pueda entenderse y resulte elegante - y para que el libro no quede, como tantos libros traducidos, en la misma lengua extraña en que estaba.''<ref>Leonel de la Cuesta, "Martí traductor - apuntes liminares", ''ATA Conference Proceedings'' (Miami: American Translators Association, 1985, pp.6-7)</ref>. == As a Journalist == Martí was much involved in writing for Spanish-speaking audiences about the assassination attempt and eventual death of President [[James Garfield|Garfield]] in 1881. Using several New York newspapers as sources, Martí took the basic accounts and translated them, but also added personal touches which in his view were necessary to convey the appropriate emotional tone to a Spanish-speaking audience. In so doing he showed his skill as a translator as well as his creative abilities as a journalist and author. ==As a Diplomat== Martí was also a diplomat in his years in exile in New York, acting as consul for several [[Latin America]]n countries and conducting their business in that city as well as at various conferences in Washington. He wrote for the major newspaper [[La Nación]] of [[Buenos Aires]], and his candid commentaries for that paper during the 1889-1890 First Inter-American Conference in Washington provide a neat counterbalance to the dry official documentation. Martí obviously had access to behind-the-scenes sources (especially from the Argentine side), and his columns were sprinkled with almost gossipy references to what the various delegations said to (and about) each other in private. His commentary on the strains between the host US delegation and the aggressively independent Argentine delegation are especially illuminating. ==Legacy== The [[Spanish-American War]] ended approximately three years after his death. His best and most revered works were his books for children, [[La Edad de Oro]] ("The Golden Age") being the most widely read, and his poetry. Several of the verses from his collection of poems ''Versos Sencillos'' were later put to music as "[[Guantanamera]]," which has become one of Cuba's most recognizable melodies based on a traditional folk tune. [[Image:JM Havana.jpg|left|thumb|250px|José Martí Airport in La Habana]] [[José Martí International Airport]] in [[Havana]] and the town [[Martí, Cuba|Martí]] were named after this leader of Cuban independence, whilst many towns in Cuba have streets named after him. The [[José Martí Memorial]] dominates the [[Plaza de la Revolución]] in Havana. [[Image:Jose_marti_in_ybor.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Bust of José Martí in front of the [[Circulo Cubano de Tampa | Cuban Club]], [[Ybor City]], [[Tampa, Florida]] ]] José Martí Park, [[Ybor City]], [[Tampa, Florida]], contains a life-size statue of Martí. It is located on the site of the home of famous Afro-Cuban patriot [[Paulina Pedrosa]], Martí's residence in Ybor City. It was here where Martí forgave the Spanish spy who tried to poison him. Martí Park and statue stand further down the block from the mammoth Ybor Cigar Factory complex, where from the ornate wrought iron porch, Martí urged cigar workers to join the fight against the Spanish dominating Cuba. The Park is technically Cuban soil, as it was purchased by Cuba in 1957. The Tampa Parks Department has confirmed this. (USF Oracle, 4/27). There is also a bust of Martí in [[Ybor City]] located in front of the [[Circulo Cubano de Tampa | Circulo Cubano (Cuban Club)]]. [[Image:Cuba 1 Centavo Coin 1962.png|thumb|right|300px|1962 20-[[centavo]]s coin of [[Cuba]], featuring a portrait of José Martí and the national motto.]] There is a memorial and bust of Martí on the Northeast corner of Bayview Park, in Key West, Florida, which bears the inscription, "THE CUBAN LIBERTY APOSTLE WISHED TO OFFER TO THE PEOPLE OF KEY WEST WHAT WAS LEFT OF HIS HEART. THIS MEMORIAL PERPETUATES HIS DESIRE." The [[United States]] sponsors an anti-[[communist]] broadcast service aimed at Cuba, named [[Radio Martí]] after Martí'. Some believe that Martí and Carmen (Carmita) Miyares de Mantilla had a child in 1880 when he was separated from his wife. [http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/funfacts/CesarRom.htm] The child, María Mantilla, in turn had children, one of whom was the actor [[Cesar Romero]]. Although often attributed to other revolutionaries, Martí was the first to coin the quotation "Es mejor morir a pie que vivir arrodillado." i.e., "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."{{Fact|date=August 2007}} <!-- This shouldn't be here - another section ? --> There is a Rum called Marti which is a Cuban style rum from the West Indies. ==See also== {{portalpar|Cuba|Flag of Cuba.svg}} {{Literature Portal}} *[[List of Cuban American writers]] *[[List of Cuban Americans|List of Famous Cuban-Americans.]] *[[José Martí and the First International American Conference]], about Martí's experiences at the [[First International Conference of American States]] *[[History of Cuba#Independence from Spain|Cuban War of Independence]] *[[Phi Iota Alpha|ΦΙΑ]] &ndash; A [[United States|U.S.]] university fraternity that takes José Martí as one of its "five pillars" ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} == References == *Abel, Christopher. ''José Martí: Revolutionary Democrat''. London: Athlone Press, 1986, p. 144-145. *Baralt, Luis A., ed., ''Martí on the USA''. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1966. *Dalleo, Raphael. "Another “Our America”: Rooting a Caribbean Aesthetic in the Work of José Martí, Kamau Brathwaite and Édouard Glissant." ''Anthurium'' 2.2 (Fall 2004): http://anthurium.miami.edu/volume_2/issue_2/dalleo-another.htm. *Mañach, Jorge. ''Martí: Apostle of Freedom.'' Translated from Spanish by Coley Taylor, with a preface by Gabriela Mistral. New York, Devin-Adair, 1950. *Martí, José. ''Obras Completas, Volume 6: Nuestra América''. La Habana: Editorial Nacional de Cuba, 1963. *Martí, José. ''Inside the Monster''. Philip S. Foner, ed. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1975, pp. 29-30. *Martí, José. ''Argentina y la Primera Conferencia Panamericana'', edited by Dardo Cúneo. Buenos Aires: Ediciones Transición, nd *Ramos, Julio. ''Divergent Modernities: Culture and Politics in Nineteenth-Century Latin America.'' Trans. John D. Blanco. Durham: Duke University Press, 2001. *Schulmanm, Iván A. and Manuel Pedro Gonzalez. ''Martí, Darío y el modernismo'', Madrid, Editorial Gredos 1969. (''Martí, Darío and Modernism'') *No author. '''José Martí Obra y Vida'''. Madrid: Ediciones Siruela, 1995. ==External links== {{Commonscat}} {{wikiquote}} *{{sp icon}} [http://www.josemarti.cu/ Portal José Martí] - Cuban website *{{sp icon}} [http://www.josemarti.info/ Las ideas republicanas de José Martí] *{{sp icon}} [http://www.josemarti.org/ La Pagina de José Martí] *{{sp icon}} [http://groups.google.com/group/Jose-Marti José Martí's Forum-Foro de José Martí (In Spanish & English)] *{{sp icon}} [http://www.josemarti.info/coppermine/index.php Iconografía Martiana] *[http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/FichaAutor.html?Ref=274 Works that can be read at Biblioteca Virtual Manuel de Cervantes] *[http://www.kwls.org/lit/kwls_blog/2008/05/francisco_goldman_on_jos_mart.cfm Lecture on José Martí's years in New York (1878-1895) by Francisco Goldman, from the Key West Literary Seminar, 2004] *{{gutenberg author|id=José_Martí|name=José Martí}} [http://achatwithjosemarti.blogspot.com/ Chautauquan Performer, scholar and actor '''Chaz Mena''' introduces José Martí to North American Audiences] {{DEFAULTSORT:Marti, Jose}} [[Category:Cuban expatriates in Guatemala]] [[Category:Cuban expatriates in the United States]] [[Category:Cuban poets]] [[Category:Cuban politicians]] [[Category:Cuban translators]] [[Category:Cuban writers]] [[Category:Cuban American writers]] <!--not in the sense that he was American (ie. an American citizen) but that he wrote in American on Cuban affairs--> [[Category:Cubans of Catalan descent]] [[Category:Cubans of Spanish descent]] [[Category:History of Key West, Florida]] [[Category:History of Tampa, Florida]] [[Category:People from Havana]] [[Category:Spanish colonial period of Cuba]] [[Category:Spanish expatriates in the United States]] [[Category:Spanish poets]] [[Category:Spanish writers]] [[Category:1853 births]] [[Category:1895 deaths]] [[ar:خوسيه مارتي]] [[br:José Martí]] [[ca:José Martí Pérez]] [[da:José Martí]] [[de:José Martí]] [[es:José Martí]] [[eo:José Martí]] [[eu:José Martí]] [[fr:José Martí]] [[gl:José Martí]] [[hr:José Julian Marti]] [[id:José Martí]] [[it:José Martí]] [[he:חוסה מארטי]] [[lb:José Martí]] [[hu:José Martí]] [[mn:Хосе Марти]] [[nl:José Martí]] [[ja:ホセ・マルティ]] [[no:José Martí]] [[nn:José Martí]] [[nds:José Julián Martí y Pérez]] [[pl:José Martí]] [[pt:José Martí]] [[ru:Марти, Хосе]] [[sk:José Martí]] [[sr:Hose Marti]] [[fi:José Martí]] [[sv:José Martí]] [[vi:José Martí]] [[tr:José Martí]] [[war:José Martí]]