Eunice Odio
Eunice Odio was a prominent Costa Rican poet, born in San José, with her birth year debated between 1919 and 1922. Known for her independent spirit from a young age, Odio faced significant personal challenges, including the loss of her mother at age eleven and a brief, troubled arranged marriage. She began her literary career in 1947 under the pseudonym Catalina Mariel, quickly gaining recognition in Guatemala, where she moved seeking a new life. Her first poetry collection, *Los elementos terrestres*, published in 1947, explores themes of love and biblical elements, reflecting her Roman Catholic influences. Odio continued to delve into personal and metaphysical themes in her subsequent works, notably *El tránsito de fuego*, an allegorical poem considered her masterpiece. After relocating to Mexico, she became a citizen in 1962 and worked in various literary capacities, including translation and journalism. Despite facing struggles with alcoholism in her later years, she is now celebrated as a significant figure in 20th-century Costa Rican literature, with her work gaining increased recognition posthumously. Odio passed away in 1974, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire literary exploration and appreciation.
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Subject Terms
Eunice Odio
Writer
- Born: c. 1922
- Birthplace: San José, Costa Rica
- Died: March 23, 1974
- Place of death: Mexico City, Mexico
Biography
Eunice Odio was born in San José, Costa Rica. The exact date of her birth is debatable, with some critics claiming 1919 as the year of her birth, and others claiming 1922. Odio’s precocious and independent spirit emerged early; by the age of four, she was periodically running away from home and wandering around the streets of the capital. By her second day in school, she was reading. Odio’s early years were marked by several challenges that left deep impressions. When at the age of nine she contracted measles and chicken pox, she was sent to recover on a relative’s ranch in the jungle. There she developed a lifelong love for nature. When Odio was eleven, her mother died. By the time Odio was sixteen, she was forced into an arranged marriage that failed in three years.
Odio’s first poems, published under the pseudonym Catalina Mariel, began to appear in 1947 in Repertorio Americano (American repertoire). That same year she moved to Guatemala because she was discontent with her life in Costa Rica. Her first book of poems, Los elementos terrestres (terrestrial elements), published in Guatemala in 1947, won the Premio Centroamericano “Quince de septiembre” (Central American prize “fifteenth of September”) in 1948. That same year, refreshed by the receptive audience she had discovered in her new country, she became a citizen of Guatemala.
Los elementos terrestres is written in a sequence of eight long poems. “First Poem, Possession in the Dream” celebrates physical love, echoing the Song of Solomon in its use of sensual imagery. Biblical allusions permeate the collection, such as in “Fifth Poem, Sterility” with its opening quotation from Job 14:1-2, and in “Sixth Poem, Creation,” which opens with a quotation from Genesis 1:2 on creation, and later introduces Psalm 1:3 as the poem treats themes of blessing and recovery from loss. Odio’s affinity for biblical themes demonstrates why some claim her as a Roman Catholic author.
Odio’s second book of poetry, Zona en territorio del alba (zone in the territory of dawn) appeared in 1953. The first part of this collection treats Odio’s exploration of childhood memories, and the second part focuses on Jesus Christ as represented in the Eucharist. Her movement from physical experiences to metaphysical concerns is evident here as well as in her first collection. During her time in Guatemala, Odio also wrote El tránsito de fuego (path of fire), a 456- page allegorical poem many critics consider her greatest work. This volume was completed in Guatemala in 1954, but was published in 1957 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
After leaving Guatemala in 1954, Odio moved to Mexico where she eventually became a citizen in 1962. During her last twenty years, Odio worked as a translator and journalist, visited New York City several times, and explored new curiosities for mystery and paranormal experiences. Her latter years were plagued with physical and spiritual challenges, including alcoholism. She was found dead in Mexico City on March 23, 1974, ten days after she had fallen in her bathroom.
Odio is regarded by many as the mother of poetry in twentieth century Costa Rica. Her short stories and poetry are gradually gaining the critical attention they deserve.