Ramon de Palma

Ramón de Palma (Havana, January 3, 1812 - Ibid., July 21, 1860) was a Cuban-Spanish writer.

Biography

Following the family tradition, he studied law and graduated as a lawyer. He suffered deprivation and financial need in his youth which seems to have given him a gloomy and melancholy character.

In 1837 he published, with José Antonio Echeverría (writer), the Aguinaldo Habanero, where he made known some of his poetic compositions.

In 1838 he founded, with Echeverría, the newspaper El Plantel. The following year he began working in the writing of The Album .

He attended the literary gatherings of Domingo del Monte. In his early years he wrote under the pseudonym Alfonso de Maldonado. In 1842 he published his first book of poetry, entitled Birds of Passage .

In 1848 he published two more volumes: Falling Leaves and Poetic Melodies. At the same time as a poet, he was a journalist, as well as a novelist, playwright.

In the Diario de la Marina he published his novel The Hermit of Niagara, from 1845 and in Havana Magazine he published his work « Cantares de Cuba» (1854), in which he outlines the study of Cuban popular poetry.

Among Palma's short novels, Cholera in Havana and La Pascua en San Marcos, both published in El Álbum, are of some interest. in 1838. In turn, with the short novel Matanzas y el Yumurí he began the Siboneyist trend in narrative prose.

He was imprisoned for having collaborated in the landing of Narciso López in 1850. Later, and until his death, he worked as secretary of the Railway Company. This position allowed him to dedicate himself much more fully to literary activity without having to practice as a lawyer.

He died in Havana on July 21, 1860.

Poetic works

• Cross war hymn

• The Fauo fire

• To the poet Milanes in his departure