Angel Crespo
Angel Crespo y Pérez de Madrid was a prominent Spanish poet, translator, and essayist born on July 18, 1926, in Ciudad Real, Spain. His literary journey began amidst the disruption of the Spanish Civil War, which shaped his self-education through a deep engagement with literature and mythology. Despite studying law in Madrid, Crespo found his passion in poetry, becoming a significant figure in the Postismo movement during the 1940s, which highlighted imagery and figurative language. His first collection, *Una lengua emerge*, was published in 1950, and by the 1960s, he was recognized for his contributions to poetry with a comprehensive anthology titled *Antología poética*.
Crespo's career evolved as he transitioned from law to academia, teaching art and literature at the University of Puerto Rico and other institutions in the U.S. He earned a Ph.D. in Sweden and continued to produce poetry and translations, notably completing a celebrated translation of Dante's *Divine Comedy*. Throughout his life, Crespo received numerous accolades, including a prestigious prize for his translation work and recognition from literary institutions. He passed away in Barcelona in 1996, leaving behind a rich legacy of about thirty poetry books, critical essays, and translations that have cemented his place in Spanish and world literature, particularly as a key member of the Generation of the 1950s.
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Angel Crespo
Poet
- Born: July 18, 1926
- Birthplace: Cuidad Real, Spain
- Died: December 12, 1995
- Place of death: Barcelona, Spain
Biography
Angel Crespo y Pérez de Madrid was born in Ciudad Real, Spain, on July 18, 1926, to Angel Crespo y Crespo and María de Los Angeles Pérez de Madrid. He early learned to love literature, particularly poetry. The Spanish Civil War interrupted his education, but his love of reading, particularly mythology and French, provided a rich self- education. When he was seventeen, he chose to study law in Madrid, although he did not give up his love for poetry.
Crespo became involved in the Postismo movement in the 1940’s. The movement emphasized the importance of imagery and figurative language in poetry. After graduating from law school in 1948, Crespo published Una lengua emerge (a language emerges) in 1950.
While continuing to practice law, Crespo became an important voice in Spanish poetry in the 1950’s. He published an additional two volumes of poetry and also edited several literary journals. In Crespo’s writing, the natural scenes of his rural childhood became magical, richly metaphoric landscapes. By 1960, Crespo’s work was considered important enough to warrant publication of a comprehensive collection of his poetry, Antología poética with an introduction by José Albí. During the 1960’s, Crespo expanded his interests to include Portuguese and Brazilian art and literature. It was also in the 1960’s that Crespo was able to leave his law practice and devote himself to the arts. In 1967, he went to the University of Puerto Rico with his second wife, where the couple taught art and literature respectively. Crespo earned an M.A. in art while there. In 1973, Crespo completed a Ph.D. at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. About the same time, he began his most ambitious translation to date: Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Crespo taught at the University of Puerto Rico for about twenty years as well as teaching at a number of universities in the United States. As his interest in academic work increased, his artistic production decreased, although he continued to publish poetry and translations throughout his life. In 1988, he returned to Spain and took up residence in Barcelona. In 1996, the year after Crespo’s death in Barcelona, the Jorge Guillén Foundation published three anthologies of his work.
As a poet, translator and essayist, Crespo won recognition from a variety of sources. He won the Premio de los Lectores y Libreros Italianos for his translation of the Divine Comedy, a Gold Medal from the city of Florence, and the City of Barcelona prize for his book of poetry El bosque transparente (1983).
The breadth and depth of Crespo’s contributions to Spanish and world literature are evident from the some thirty books of poetry, nine books of criticism, and twenty-one published translations of important works from Italian and Portuguese. Increasing critical attention at the turn of the century further demonstrates his importance to Spanish literature as a leading member of the Generation of the 1950’s.