Juan Ramón Molina - San Salvador, El Salvador
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Metro2
N 13° 41.957 W 089° 12.469
16P E 261216 N 1515558
Juan Ramón Molina was a Honduran poet who died here in San Salvador.
Waymark Code: WMH6R2
Location: El Salvador
Date Posted: 05/31/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Marine Biologist
Views: 4

This monument to Molina is located in San Salvador's Cusccatlan Park.
It was erected by the Honduran citizens of San Salvador on July, 25, 2007. It has a relief of the poet...perhaps in copper. A mermaid and ship can be seen behind his image.

The Spanish Wikipedia page (visit link) adds:

"Juan Ramón Molina (1875-1908), nacido en Comayagüela, Honduras, es el primer poeta hondureño que salió de Centroamérica para embeberse en las corrientes culturales de otras latitudes. Es uno de los grandes exponentes del modernismo en Centroamérica y su obra de gran calidad literaria lo consagra como el escritor hondureño más universal. En 1892, en un viaje a Brasil, -en cuyo trayecto escribe “Salutación a los Poetas Brasileños”- conoce al poeta nicaragüense Rubén Darío, quien incidirá grandemente en su estilo. Visitó España, donde colaboró en el recién fundado "ABC" de Madrid, y varios países de Sudamérica, dejando huellas permanentes en su obra. Castelar alabó su canto "El Águila" y Rubén Darío su "Salutación a los Poemas Brasileños".

Admiró a William Shakespeare y dedicó varios sonetos “El rey Lear”, “Ofelia”, “Yago”, etc. a la obra en inglés. Recibió la influencia de Rubén Darío, a quien conoció en su persona y en su obra. La influencia del nicaragüense se dejó sentir por ejemplo en “Tréboles de Navidad”, similar a la "Rosa Niña" de Darío, o en "El poema del Optimista", posiblemente el poema que, aisladamente, más haya influido en toda la literatura contemporánea en habla castellana.

Fue Juan Ramón Molina poeta de primerísima categoría y aunque cultivó la prosa en la que logró bellas y armoniosas realizaciones, como su cuento "El Chele", éstas no pueden darse un puesto en la literatura universal como se otorga a su obra poética que está dentro del modernismo más puro y une la calidad poética y lo depurado de la forma con una finísima sensibilidad de que es muestra su soneto “Pesca de Sirenas”.

Fue Juan Ramón Molina hombre activo, personal y políticamente, quemó su vida en el afán de vivirla intensamente. Fue colaborador de la candidatura del General Terencio Sierra de quien se consideraba amigo. Presidente de Honduras durante el período 1899-1903, Sierra, molesto por una publicación que hizo Molina en el Diario de Honduras, bajo su dirección, lo mandó a picar piedra, encadenado, en la carretera que se construía al sur del país. El artículo que tanto lo había molestado "Un hacha que afilar", era un conocido apólogo de Benjamín Franklin, que los acólitos de Sierra consideraron alusivo, hostil y digno de ser castigado con la prisión del poeta.

«Planfetista y periodista, coronel, político, diplomático, hombre que alcanzó altos cargos públicos y que hubo de seguir la ruta del exilio donde murió». A pesar de esta vida activa no pudo rehuir el pesimismo y el hastío tan común a los poetas hondureños y que él, como su más elevado representante tuvo en grado sumo por "La fatiga que le producía el peso ABRUMADOR DE LO INFINITO", que muestra en el sentido macabro de sus versos "Después que muera" o en el pesimismo vital de su soneto "Madre Melancolía". Falleció en San Salvador El Salvador el 2 de noviembre de 1908.

El 13 de enero del 2009, Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle, Secretario de Estado en los Despachos de Cultura, Artes y Deportes renombró la Biblioteca Nacional de Honduras con el nombre de Juan Ramón Molina."

which Google poorly translates as:

"Juan Ramón Molina (1875-1908), born in Comayagüela, Honduras, Honduras is the first poet who left Central to imbibe cultural currents elsewhere. It is one of the great exponents of modernism in Central and work of high literary quality enshrined as the most universal Honduran writer. In 1892, on a trip to Brazil, where the route type-in ??"Salutation to Brazilian Poets" - knows the Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario, who will impact greatly on your style. He visited Spain, where he worked at the newly founded "ABC" of Madrid, and several South American countries, leaving permanent traces in his work. Castelar praised her singing "The Eagle" and Ruben Dario his "Salutation to the Brazilian Poems".

He admired William Shakespeare and spent several sonnets "King Lear", "Ophelia", "Yago", etc.. to work in English. He was influenced by Ruben Dario, whom he met in his person and in his work. The Nicaraguan influence was felt for example in "Christmas Clubs", similar to the "Pink Girl" of Darius, and in "The Optimistic poem," possibly the poem which, individually, all else has influenced contemporary literature in Spanish-speaking.

Poet Juan Ramón Molina was top-notch and even cultivated prose in which beautiful and harmonious achieved accomplishments, as his story "El Chele", they can not be given a place in the literature as given to his poetry that is within pure modernism and meets quality and refined poetic form with a refined sensitivity that is shown his sonnet "Fishing Sirens".

Juan Ramón Molina was active man, personally and politically, burned his life in an effort to live intensely. He worked for the candidacy of General Terence saw who was considered a friend. President of Honduras during the 1899-1903 period, Sierra, annoyed by a publication that did Molina in the Journal of Honduras, under his leadership, sent to break stones, chained, on the road to be built south of the country. The article that had so bothered "ax to grind", was a known apologist of Benjamin Franklin, who believed Sierra's acolytes allusive, hostile and worthy to be punished with imprisonment of the poet.

"Planfetista and journalist, colonel, politician, diplomat, who achieved high office and had to follow the route of exile where he died". Despite this active life could not shun the gloom and boredom so common Honduran Poets and that he, as his representative was highest in the highest degree by "fatigue that caused him OVERWHELMING weight INFINITY", which shows in the macabre sense of his verses "After I die" or vital pessimism of his sonnet "Mother Melancholy". He died in San Salvador El Salvador on November 2, 1908.

The January 13, 2009, Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports renamed the National Library of Honduras by the name of Juan Ramón Molina."
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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Metro2 visited Juan Ramón Molina  -  San Salvador, El Salvador 03/17/2013 Metro2 visited it