The only known recording of César Vallejo: it shows the Peruvian poet in a historical moment of literature

One of the most prominent figures in Peruvian and world literary history is César Vallejo, a central figure in poetry and narrative. Known as the “saddest poet in the world”his literary legacy covers various areas such as poetry, narrative, theater, essay and translation. Vallejo was born on March 16, 1892 in Santiago de Chuco, a small town in La Libertad. He was the youngest of eleven siblings, son of Francisco de Paula Vallejo Benites and María de los Santos Mendoza Gurrioneroa family that intended to assign him to the priesthoodalthough its purpose was in the letters.

The Peruvian writer is remembered not only for his work, but also for a characteristic image that portrays him. One of the photographs that we have seen the most at school or on book covers shows reflective Vallejo, with his fist under his chin. However, seeing moving images of Vallejo seemed unimaginable until a few tapes of him appearing in July 1937. These were taken during the opening session of the International Congress of Writers for the Defense of Cultureheld in Valencia, Spain, and are the only video images that exist of the Peruvian poet.

Vallejo’s images correspond to the inaugural session of Congress, titled “On the events in Spain”, which brought together notable figures such as Pablo Neruda, Ernest Hemingway, André Malraux and Antonio Machado. In the first sequence, Vallejo is seen with his arms crossed, leaning on them and sitting behind the writers Ernesto More Barrionuevo and José Bergamín Gutiérrez. In the next shot, the Peruvian poet is seen applauding standing, behind the same writers; Furthermore, he is the last one in the group to sit.

That year, he visited different cities in Spain, such as Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Jaén. Returning to Paris, he was elected secretary of the Peruvian section of the International Writers Association. Between September and November of that year, she wrote his last lyrical compositions in “Human Poems” and “Spain, separate this chalice from me,” as well as the Inca drama “La piedra cansada.” César Vallejo died nine months after the filming of these films, the April 15, 1938.

To talk about César Vallejo is to refer to Peru. 132 years after his birth, his name remains as symbol of the country’s literary identity. Originally from Trujillo, he studied Literature there, but had to interrupt his training when he moved to Lima, where he initially studied medicine before returning to the north of the country to continue his studies that he left unfinished at the National University of Trujillo. He graduated with a thesis on romanticism in Spanish literature.

The Peruvian writer explored almost all literary genres: poetry, narrative, theater and essay. His prolific journalistic work included chronicles and articles, standing out mainly in poetry, where he reached his full expression in three stages: modernist, avant-garde and revolutionary.

Vallejo’s modernist stage is manifested in his famous collection of poems “The Black Heralds”. This work marks the beginning of his search for an expressive differentiation that would be consolidated throughout his career. influenced by Rubén Darío and Julio Herrera y ReissigVallejo dealt with indigenous, family and local themes with a modernist style and classic metric forms.

Vallejo’s avant-garde stage is marked by “Trilce”, a revolutionary book considered one of the greatest works of post-war avant-garde poetry worldwide. This collection of poems emerged in a context of perplexity before the world, after the death of his mother, love failures and his time in prison. These experiences forged in the poet a feeling of exclusion and pain.

The revolutionary stage is reflected in the posthumous poems “Human poems” and “Spain, take this chalice from me”. Published in 1939, these texts deal with recurring themes of the author, but show clear differences with respect to his previous work. The Peruvian poet abandoned language experimentation and returned to known rhythms, seeking to get closer to the people.

In narrative, he also showed his ideological transformation. He published avant-garde stories in ““Melographed scales” and explored psychological themes in the novella “Wild Fable”. His best-known work in this genre is “tungsten”, a proletarian novel that criticizes exploitation in a mine in the Andes.

Vallejo too wrote children’s stories of social denunciation, such as “Paco Yunque”, and other unfinished stories published posthumously. His theatrical work includes four complete pieces: “Lockout”, “Between the two shores the river runs”, “Colacho Brothers or presidents of America” and “The tired stone”. These works They were not released or published during his lifetime. of the author.

He also had chronicles and reflections on the soviet russia in “Russia in 1931. Reflections at the foot of the Kremlin” (1931) and “Russia before the second five-year plan.” He organized books of essayistic prose and reflection, such as “Against professional secrecy” and “Art and revolution”, which were not published during his lifetime due to their Marxist nature.

At the beginning of 1938, Vallejo worked as a professor of Language and Literature in Paris, but in March he suffered physical exhaustion. On March 24 he was hospitalized for an unknown illness that turned out to be the reactivation of an old malaria. He went into crisis on April 7 and 8, dying a week later, the April 15, 1938with tuberculosis at 46 years. His funeral eulogy was given by the French writer Louis Aragon. His remains were transferred to the Montrouge cemetery and, later, to the Montparnasse cemetery in 1970.

César Vallejo remains a central figure in the Peruvian and world literature. His work, marked by deep humanity and social commitment, continues to be studied and celebrated for its innovation and relevance. Through his poems, stories, plays and essays, the Peruvian writer left a legacy that transcends time and continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers.