Amado Nervo
Amado Nervo, born Jose Amado Ruiz de Nervo in Tepic, Mexico, on August 27, 1870, was a prominent Mexican poet, novelist, and diplomat, deeply influenced by the rich indigenous culture and Catholic spirituality of his childhood in Nayarit. Following his father's death, he moved to Michoacan, where financial difficulties prompted him to abandon his pursuit of the priesthood for a career in journalism and literature. Nervo gained significant recognition as coeditor of the influential literary journal Revista Azul, which championed the Modernismo movement in Latin America. His literary contributions include the novel "El bachiller" and several acclaimed poetry collections that solidified his reputation.
In 1900, he moved to Paris as a journalist, where he encountered notable figures like Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario and formed a lasting relationship with Ana Cecilia Luisa Dailliez. Nervo spent much of his later life in Europe, particularly in Madrid, where he continued to write until his appointment as minister plenipotentiary to Argentina and Uruguay. He passed away on May 24, 1919, in Montevideo, Uruguay, leaving behind a legacy of literary achievement that brought him extraordinary acclaim in Mexico and beyond, with his remains returned to Mexico in a naval procession honoring his contributions to literature.
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Amado Nervo
Fiction Writer and Poet
- Born: August 27, 1870
- Birthplace: Tepic, Mexico
- Died: May 24, 1919
- Place of death: Montevideo, Uruguay
Biography
The writer Amado Nervo was born Jose Amado Ruiz de Nervo in Tepic, Mexico, on August, 27, 1870, the first child of a modest family of Spanish descent. He spent his childhood in Tepic, in the remote, mainly indigenous province of Nayarit, and the Indian myths of the region, along with his mother’s Catholicism, may have influenced his later fascination with diverse forms of spiritualism. He began to write as a child, and on one occasion his brother discovered Nervo’s furtive verses. After his father’s death in 1883, Nervo moved with his mother to the state of Michoacan, where he attended a secondary school that was also a seminary. After beginning a study of law, in 1891 he began studying for the priesthood. One year later, the family’s financial duress forced him to seek employment, although it has been speculated that his stormy first love affair may have raised doubts about his pursuit of a religious vocation.
As a result, Nervo sought employment, first in Tepic, then in Mazatlan, working in a law office and on the newspaper El Correo de la Tarde. In 1894, he moved again, this time to the capital, Mexico City. By 1895, Nervo had his first short stories, articles, and essays published, in addition to journalistic work as a drama critic and as a chronicler of social news. Most notably, he achieved recognition for his work as coeditor of the important journal Revista Azul, the voice of the Modernismo movement and one of the most influential literary reviews in Mexico and Latin America.
He also received a good deal of attention for his novel El bachiller, published in 1895. The book is a somewhat graphic exploration of the sexual problems of a seminary student, and Nervo claimed to have written it in a quest for fame. In 1898, Nervo published his first two important books of poetry, and he also secured a position as a journalist for El Universal. In 1900, he was sent to Paris by the newspaper El Imparcial as a special correspondent, where he encountered the great Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario, leader of the Modernismo movement, and many French poets of the period.
Nervo met the love of his life, Ana Cecilia Luisa Dailliez, in Paris in 1901. Although they never married, they lived together until her death in 1912. After deciding to stay in Paris, Nervo traveled widely throughout Europe, returning with Dailliez to Mexico in 1903. There, Nervo was given a job as a professor of Spanish language and literature at the National School in Mexico City. He continued to publish, and at this time Nervo’s popularity came primarily from his poetry. In 1905, Nervo entered the diplomatic service and lived from that time until 1918 in Madrid, where he produced the majority of his poetry. After his appointment as minister plenipotentiary to Argentina and Uruguay, Nervo died in Montevideo, Uruguay on May 24, 1919. He had achieved extraordinary fame, and his body was returned to Mexico by a naval cruiser escorted by ships of Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, and the United States.