José Juan Tablada
José Juan Tablada was a prominent Mexican poet, diplomat, and cultural figure, born on April 3, 1871, in Coyoacán, Mexico City. He developed a passion for literature early in life, which was significantly influenced by his travels, particularly his trip to Japan in 1900. There, he was inspired by Japanese art and poetry, becoming friends with the esteemed author Okada Asataro, who introduced him to the traditional Japanese poetic forms of haiku and tanka. Tablada's 1904 book, *El florilegio*, showcases his translations and original works reflecting Japanese culture.
His artistic journey continued in Paris during 1911-1912, where he engaged with leading French Imagist poets, further enriching his poetic style. Tablada's work is characterized by a unique blend of Mexican cultural elements and international influences, making him an innovator rather than an imitator. His political satire drew controversy in Mexico, leading him to emigrate to New York in 1914. There, he continued his literary career and served as vice consul of Mexico until his death on August 2, 1945. Tablada is regarded as one of the most influential Mexican poets of the early twentieth century, significantly contributing to the appreciation of haiku in the Spanish-speaking world.
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José Juan Tablada
Writer
- Born: April 3, 1871
- Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
- Died: August 2, 1945
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
José Juan Tablada was born on April 3, 1871, in Coyoacan, part of Mexico City. He attended local schools there and also spent some months in military school. During his years in school, Tablada grew more and more interested in learning and writing about other countries. In 1900, he made a trip to Japan and was particularly inspired by the art there. It intrigued him so much that it led to the conception of some of his best poems. While in Japan, Tablada had been introduced to the famous author Okada Asataro. They quickly became friends, and Tablada was thus initiated into the art of the Japanese poetic forms haiku and tanka.
In 1904, the expanded second edition of his book El florilegio was published. This book contains several poems about Japan and its culture, translations from ancient Japanese court poetry, and some of Tablada’s early poems, including the poem “Japanese Muse.” Though earning his right as a reputable and talented translator, Tablada made no attempt at translating any contemporary or classical haiku while he was in Japan.
From Japan, Tablada traveled to Paris, where haiku was becoming popular and appreciated and was being written by an innovative circle of some of the leading French poets. Tablada lived in Paris for about a year from 1911 to 1912, and he soon became familiar with the works of Guillaume Apollinaire, André Breton, Louis Cochoud, Paul Éluard, Jean Paulhan, and many other French Imagist poets. He studied their poetry, discussed haiku with some of them, and translated some of the work of these and other French poets into Spanish.
With an adequate preliminary foundation in Japanese haiku and tanka and with his exposure to the new work of the French Imagist poets, Tablada had a framework that later led to his own collections of haiku and related poetry. By incorporating all these cultures and styles into his own poetry, Tablada became not an imitator but rather an innovator. His poetry was original, and even though he spent a lot of time away from his homeland, his works have a distinct Mexican flavor containing local references to flora, fauna, and Mexican culture.
Apart from gaining this strong basis for his literature, Tablada was also faced with the political turmoil of his native soil and decided to emigrate to New York in 1914. He sought exile in the United States due to political persecution in Mexico. Tablada had supported the reelection of the despised dictator Porfirio Diaz and his equally hated vice-presidential candidate, Ramón Corral.
While in Mexico, Tablada had severely offended Francisco Madero and other politicians with his stinging political satire from about 1909 to 1913, a time which marked the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. In his satirical play, Madero- Chantecler, Tablada insulted Madero and this drew a lot of criticism and anger in the country. Tablada’s home in Coyoacan was ransacked by an angry mob incited by the military under orders from the government. As a result of this vandalism, the only copy of the manuscript of his first novel was destroyed along with one hundred Japanese woodblock prints, paintings, and part of his library.
Tablada soon began perceiving his emigration to New York not only as an escape but as a political endeavor; following his move, Don Venustiano Carranza had entrusted him with some diplomatic positions there. Tablada also began solidifying his literary career and joined the Academy of Language. He died on August 2, 1945 in New York, still serving as the vice consul of Mexico.
Along with Ramón López Velarde and Enrique González Martínez, Tablada is considered one of the three most influential Mexican poets of the early twentieth century. Due to Tablada and a few Spanish poets, such as Nobel Prize winner in literature Juan Ramón Jiménez, Antonio Machado, and Rámon Gómez de la Serna, other poets in the Spanish-speaking world became seriously interested in haiku long before haiku became popular among poets in the United States. Tablada wrote in a time of political and literary transition, and change itself is a continual theme in his work. Tablada was a talented poet and diplomat recognized for his ability to bring different cultures and styles of poetry together, an attribute which allows him to stand out on the tide of the modernist literary current.