Jaime Sabines: The Role of the Everyday and the Mortuary in Diario semanario y poemas en prosa (1961)

Abstract

The poetry of Mexican author Jaime Sabines (1926–1999) is situated within a period of change in Latin America (Cuban revolution, dictatorships, and stylistic changes in literature) that linked the author to colloquialism. According to Cesare Del Mastro, this is a form marked by the use of plain and popular language rather than academicism. Using this style as a platform, two central topics presented in the collection of poems Diario Semanario y poemas en prosa (1961) are addressed in this paper: the everyday and the mortuary. Both are shown as symptomatic expressions of an affront to modernity, with signs of oppression, and the tense relationships and poetic responses are analyzed as a response to deep historical transformations.

Keywords:

• Colloquial poetry
• Jaime Sabines
• Mexican poetry
• mortuary
• the everyday

Disclosure statement

The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mauro Marino-Jiménez

Mauro Marino-Jiménez is a researcher at Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola. His works cover topics related to literature, social communication, and education. His most representative literary research works are related to the poetry of Emilio Adolfo Westphalen, César Moro, and Martín Adán. He currently manages the research group Comunicación, Cultura y Sociedad Digital (COMUNICADIGITAL).

Noraya Ccoyure-Tito

Noraya Ccoyure-Tito is a professor at Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola. She develops research linked to literature, cinema, and theater. Her most recent works are related to the poetry of José María Eguren and Jaime Sabines. She is also the director and scriptwriter of the Llaqta theater group. Her play Último Acto won the First Prize in the amateur category for best directed and written work at the 40th IPACULT Festival (Juárez, Mexico, 2022).

Erik Fernández-Pozo

Erik Fernández-Pozo is a professor at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola. His research focuses on the narratives of Enrique Congrains, Augusto Higa Oshiro and Miguel Gutiérrez. Additionally, he has written short stories, novels, and literary essays. His story “The Other Maritza” won first prize at the I Vitaqura Narrative Biennial, in tribute to the writer José María Arguedas (Lima, Perú, 2023).