Nicanor Parra, Dies Aged 103

Hello Gentle Reader

Nicanor Parra the eminent Chilean scientist and poet, who was often considered the contrary antonym to Nobel Laurate and fellow Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, has died at the age of 103, on January 23^rd. Where Neruda was noted for his poetry of high lyricism, Parra did the complete opposite, he stripped poetry of its flowery imagery and vague symbolism, and instead instituted and wrote in a style known for its confrontational tone, dark comedic undertones, and stripped his poetry of any resemblance of high lyricism of previous generations. Nicanor Parra’s poetry was often called: “anti-poetry,” due to Parra has been quoted as saying, he wanted to bringing poetry down from ‘mount Olympus,’ and speaks to the everyday person. Since his debut and throughout his poetry career, Nicanor Parra was considered one of the most powerful and influential writers of his generation. Harold Bloom has called Nicanor Parra as essential as Walt Whitman, and in two –thousand and eleven he won the Cervantes Prize, the highest and most distinguished literary award of a Spanish language author. He was a perennial Nobel Laureate, but would never receive the highest literary accolade; yet despite the lack of Nobel recognition, Nicanor Parra poetry was known for rejecting the romanticism of the time, where heroic deeds were serenaded and sung with the ideals of a long lost era, but alienated the common person from the themes and narrative enclosed. Narra on the flipside wrote about the overworked office worker, the bad ladies, the hoodlums, the unemployed, and wrote about their disenfranchised realities and struggles with humour and frankness, and would gather support and acclaim from the general public for making poetry accessible to the common day person. His poetry was often notably influenced by his scientific studies, education and profession, as well as other writers such as Franz Kafka and T.S. Eliot. His acclaim and poetry was also met with controversy and refutes, questioning his literary merit. Some called his work immoral, filthy, and showcased contempt for women, religion, love, virtue and beauty—and saw him as a fading star who would never achieve anything beyond his momentary recognition. They were wrong, Nicanor Parra would continue to write poetry, be an expert on Newtonian Physics, and influence poets throughout the world, including the Beat Generation. In the end it is said Nicanor Parra taught physics to survive, and wrote poetry to stay alive, and it paid off, he is considered one of the most prominent Spanish language poets of the twentieth century, whose influence was seen and felt throughout the Spanish language, South America, and other poets throughout the world.

Truly the world is deprived without Nicanor Parra, whose poetry revolutionized the format and its audience that it spoke to. Rest in Peace Nicanor Parra. 

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M. Mary