Famous Mexican Poets

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 1 
Joan Sebastian
(Singer-songwriter, Actor, Poet, Record producer)
Joan Sebastian
6
Birthdate: April 8, 1951
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Guerrero
Died: July 13, 2015

Known as the king of Mexican rodeo, for performing in concerts on horseback, Mexican singer Joan Sebastian won the highest number of Grammy awards from his country. Over 20 of his songs made it to the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. An actor, too, he was seen in the telenovela Tú y yo.

 2 
Juana Inés de la Cruz
(Mexican Writer, Philosopher, Composer and Poet of the 'Baroque Period')
Juana Inés de la Cruz
7
Birthdate: November 12, 1648
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tepetlixpa, Mexico
Died: April 17, 1695

Mexican nun Juana Inés de la Cruz was one of the finest authors of the Latin American colonial era. Initially the lady-in-waiting of Mexico’s viceroy, she later took her vows. She built a huge library and penned masterpieces such as the poem Primero sueño and the religious drama El divino Narciso.

 3 
Octavio Paz
(Writer, Poet, Diplomat and Noble Prize Laureate)
Octavio Paz
4
Birthdate: March 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: April 19, 1998
Born into a family of intellectuals, Nobel Prize-winning Mexican poet Octavio Paz had been introduced to literature through his grandfather’s library. Apart from poetry, he had also written essays on art, politics, and culture. As a Mexican diplomat, he had been to countries such as India and France.
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 4 
Rosario Castellanos
(One of Mexico's Most Important Literary Voices in the 20th Century)
Rosario Castellanos
3
Birthdate: May 25, 1925
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: August 7, 1974

Mexican poet and author Rosario Castellanos was one of the most prominent literary voices of Mexico and perhaps the most significant Mexican woman writer of the last century. Her literary work on cultural and gender oppression has greatly influenced Mexican feminist theory and cultural studies. Her notable works include her master’s thesis, Sobre cultura femenina and the poem Valium 10.

 5 
Gregorio López
(One of the Leading Chroniclers of the Mexican Revolution)
Gregorio López
3
Birthdate: November 17, 1897
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Huasteca, Veracruz, Mexico
Died: December 10, 1966

One of the greatest chroniclers of the Mexican Revolution, Gregorio López y Fuentes was initially a teacher and then a journalist who wrote using the pseudonym Tulio F. Peseenz. He soared to fame with his iconic work Campamento (Encampment), followed by Tierra (Earth) and El indio (The Indian).

 6 
Cherríe Moraga
(Writer, Poet)
Cherríe Moraga
3
Birthdate: September 25, 1952
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Whittier

Internationally renowned poet, playwright, and essayist Cherríe Moraga is also a true-blue feminist, who is openly lesbian. A founder-member of La Red Chicana Indígena, she works to preserve indigenous rights. She co-edited the feminist anthology This Bridge Called My Back and also teaches dramatic arts and writing.

 7 
Amado Nervo
(Mexican Poet, Journalist and Educator)
Amado Nervo
3
Birthdate: August 27, 1870
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico
Died: May 24, 1919

Amado Nervo was a Mexican poet, educator, and journalist. Widely regarded as one of the most prominent poets of 19th century Mexico, Nervo was renowned for using metaphor as well as his references to mysticism in his poetry. Apart from being a respected literary figure, Amado Nervo also served as Mexican Ambassador to Uruguay and Argentina.

 8 
José Emilio Pacheco
(Mexican Poet, Essayist, Novelist and Short Story Writer)
José Emilio Pacheco
2
Birthdate: June 30, 1939
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: January 26, 2014

One of Mexico’s finest poets from the 20th century, José Emilio Pacheco was a Cervantes Prize winner. Initially an editor for publications such as La Cultura en Mexico, he later taught literature at the University of Essex. He had also translated the works of literary icons such as Samuel Beckett and Albert Einstein.

 9 
Homero Aridjis
(Poet, Novelist)
Homero Aridjis
0
Birthdate: April 6, 1940
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Contepec, Michoacán, Mexico
 10 
Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera
(Mexican Poet)
Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera
1
Birthdate: December 22, 1859
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Died: February 3, 1895

Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera was a Mexican political figure and writer. He is remembered for his contribution as a writer, which bridged the gap between romanticism and the contemporaneous movements of Symbolism and modernismo in North America. His essay Art and Materialism is regarded as the first modernist manifesto. Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera is also credited with co-founding the magazine Revista Azul.

 11 
Ramón López Velarde
(Mexican Poet Who Incorporated French Symbolist Techniques into the Treatment of Purely Mexican Themes)
Ramón López Velarde
2
Birthdate: June 15, 1888
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jerez de García Salinas, Mexico
Died: June 19, 1921

Ramón López Velarde was a Mexican poet whose work was viewed as a fitting reply to the French-influenced modernismo. A respected figure, López Velarde achieved great fame in Mexico and is often referred to as the national poet of Mexico. 

 12 
Enrique González Martínez
(Mexican Poet, Physician, and Diplomat)
Enrique González Martínez
1
Birthdate: April 13, 1871
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Guadalajara, Mexico
Died: February 19, 1952

Initially a physician and a professor of physiology, Enrique González Martínez later became one of the finest poets of Mexico, drawing on Modernism and French Symbolism. Best remembered for his iconic sonnet Wring the Neck of the Swan, he had also been a diplomat and had served in the Ministry of Education.

 13 
Ricardo Garibay
(Mexican Poet and Journalist)
Ricardo Garibay
0
Birthdate: January 18, 1923
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tulancingo, Mexico
Died: May 3, 1999

One of the finest cultural icons of Mexico, Ricardo Garibay was a dedicated journalist and a talented author and screenplay writer. Known for creating TV programs such as Autores y libros, he also penned the award-winning novel The House that Burns at Night. He was also known for his reckless lifestyle.