Cintio Vitier
Cintio Vitier (1921-2009) was a prominent Cuban poet, essayist, and scholar, whose literary contributions significantly shaped Cuban literature in the 20th century. Born in Key West, Florida, and raised in Matanzas, Cuba, he was influenced early on by his father's library and friendships with notable literary figures, including poet Eliseo Diego. Vitier began his literary journey with the journal Luz and was significantly mentored by Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, who helped him publish his first volume, *Luz ya sueño*, in 1938.
Throughout his career, Vitier was associated with the literary group Orígenes, which emphasized a renaissance in poetry and culture, reflecting a focus on personal expression over political activism until the Cuban Revolution. His subsequent works transitioned towards social and political themes, culminating in his role at the José Martí National Library and his research on Martí's works. Vitier's later poetry returned to more personal themes, echoing his earlier style. He was recognized with numerous awards, including Cuba's National Literature Prize and the Juan Rulfo Prize for Literature, solidifying his legacy as one of Cuba's most esteemed contemporary lyric poets and influential scholars.
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Cintio Vitier
Poet
- Born: September 25, 1921
- Birthplace: Key West, Florida
- Died: October 1, 2009
- Place of death: Havana, Cuba
Biography
Cintio Vitier was born in Key West, Florida, on September 25, 1921, to Medardo and María Cristina Bolaños Vitier. Soon after, the family moved to Matanzas, Cuba, where Vitier was raised. He attended a private school his father had founded and credits his father’s library for early literary inspiration. At fifteen, Vitier moved with his family to Havana and there attended first La Luz, a private school, and later a public secondary school.
During this time, Vitier made friends with Eliseo Diego, a poet with whom he founded the journal Luz. The journal allowed Vitier to begin publishing his work, but Vitier credited Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, who was living in exile in Cuba at the time, with getting Vitier’s literary career underway. Not only did Jiménez influence Vitier’s style, but he also helped Vitier in revising, choosing, and arranging the poems for Vitier’s first published volume, Luz ya sueño (light already a dream, 1938). Furthermore, Jiménez wrote an introduction to the volume.
During the 1940’s, Vitier became involved with a group of writers calling themselves Orígenes, referring to their central concern with the necessity of a continual Renaissance of poetry and culture. The group published a literary magazine spearheading a poetic and cultural movement that has come to be known as the Third Republican Generation. Heavily influenced by this group, Vitier referred to himself during this time as the “conscience of poetry.” The poetry he wrote during this time and up until the late 1950’s reflects the group’s emphasis on personal expression rather than on the political and social activism.
While continuing to write and publish, Vitier enrolled in law school at the University of Havana and completed his degree in law in 1947. He did not pursue this profession, however. He began teaching at the Escuela Normal (teacher’s college) in Havana and at a school his father helped to found, the Central University of Las Villas.
The Cuban revolution was the next major influence on Vitier’s poetic output. His volumes published in the 1960’s reflect the shift from private lyrical expression to public arguments for social and political reform. During this period, Vitier worked at the José Martí National Library and researched this poet, producing a critical edition of Martí’s works. From the late 1970’s to the mid- 1980’s, Vitier tried his hand at novel-writing, creating a semiautobiographical trilogy about three generations of a Cuban family. His volumes of poetry of the 1980’s and 1990’s were likewise semiautobiographical, shifting back to the lyrical emphasis of his earliest work.
Vitier received the following awards: Cuba’s National Literature Prize in 1988, the Juan Rulfo Prize for Literature in 2002, and the Order of José Martí from President Fidel Castro in 2002. Cintio Vitier was considered one of Cuba’s finest contemporary lyric poets and most influential scholars.