The Poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Features poetry by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz read in Spanish and in English translation. Prof. Yvonne Guillon Barrett provides commentary on her life and work. Produced and hosted by David Barsamian as part of his Pyrenees to the Andes Poetry Series series broadcast on KGNU. Funded by a grant from the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities.
Speaker
Sor Juana
Sister (Spanish: Sor) Juana Inés de la Cruz, (1651-1695), was a self-taught scholar and poet of the Baroque school, and Hieronymite nun of New Spain. She was known in her lifetime as “The Tenth Muse.” Although she lived in a colonial era when Mexico was part of the Spanish Empire, she is considered today both a Mexican writer and a contributor to the Spanish Golden Age, and she stands at the beginning of the history of Mexican literature in the Spanish language.
Antonio Bernal –
I taught Spanish for 23 years in Los Angeles, and there was no class that did not get a good dose of Sor Juana, complete with the excellent movie available at the time, Yo, la Peor de Todas. More than one girl among the students got Sor Juana in the sense that she did not want to be around men, and considered herself their equal. I had them memorize the iconic sonnet, and they loved it.
Himbres necios que acusais
a la mujer sin razon
Sin ver que sois la ocasion
de lo mismo que culpais
Sin con ansia sin igual,
solicitais su desden
Porque quereis que obren bien,
Si las incitais al mal?