Mariano Brull
Who was Mariano Brull?
Cuban writer and diplomat (1891-1956)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Mariano Brull (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Mariano Brull Caballero, born on February 24, 1891, in Camagüey, Cuba, became a unique voice in Cuban poetry in the early 20th century. He studied at the University of Havana and balanced careers as both a diplomat and a poet, experiences that strongly influenced his writing. He passed away on June 8, 1956, in Havana, leaving a collection of work that distinguished him from many of his peers in Cuban literature.
Brull is linked to the French Symbolist movement, drawing inspiration from Stéphane Mallarmé and Paul Valéry. This connection set him apart from other Cuban poets of the time who often focused on social or political themes or explored Afro-Cuban cultural influences. Brull aimed for pure poetry, emphasizing form, musicality, and language over social or cultural messages.
His main contribution to literary history is related to the concept of jitanjáfora, a type of poetry where the sound of words is more important than their meaning. In jitanjáfora, words might be invented or chosen for their sound, making them nearly meaningless but with a strong auditory impact. The term was coined by Mexican writer Alfonso Reyes, inspired by a line in one of Brull's poems, cementing Brull's role in Hispanic literature as the poet most associated with this experimental style.
As a diplomat, Brull spent a lot of time outside Cuba, representing his country in various posts in Europe and the Americas. This life abroad exposed him to European literary movements, especially in France, which strengthened the Symbolist and formalist aspects of his poetry. His overseas experiences allowed him to form connections with European literary figures and absorb influences not as readily available to poets who remained in Cuba.
While not widely known today, Brull's poetry holds a significant place in Cuban and Latin American literature. His focus on aesthetic purity and formal experimentation set him apart among Cuban poets of his time, and his association with jitanjáfora has continued to draw scholarly interest as an early example of linguistic experimentation in Latin American poetry.
Before Fame
Mariano Brull was born in late 19th-century Cuba, during a time of significant change as the island moved through the final years of Spanish colonial rule toward independence. Growing up in Camagüey, a city known for its cultural and intellectual atmosphere, he experienced a period of national upheaval, including the Cuban War of Independence and the establishment of the Cuban Republic in 1902. He went to the University of Havana for higher education, where he was introduced to European literary traditions, steering him toward French Symbolist poetry.
In early 20th-century Cuba, writers and poets were engaged in lively discussions about national identity, political involvement, and artistic direction. Brull became prominent by choosing to align with European formalist trends rather than the politically charged or Afro-Cuban-influenced poetry popular among many of his peers. His career in the diplomatic service gave him the chance to pursue his literary interests in Europe, especially in France, where he could connect with the traditions of Mallarmé and Valéry, which deeply influenced his work.
Key Achievements
- Recognized as the leading Cuban poet of the 'pure poetry' aesthetic in the first half of the twentieth century
- Provided the source material for the coining of the literary term 'jitanjáfora,' now used throughout Hispanic literary scholarship
- Successfully maintained parallel careers as a published poet and a professional Cuban diplomat across multiple countries
- Introduced and embodied the influence of French Symbolism, particularly that of Mallarmé and Valéry, within Cuban poetry
- Produced a body of experimental verse that placed him within the broader avant-garde currents of early twentieth-century Latin American literature
Did You Know?
- 01.The literary term 'jitanjáfora,' used to describe nonsense or sound-driven poetry across the Hispanic world, was coined by Mexican writer Alfonso Reyes based on a line from one of Brull's own poems.
- 02.Brull was more closely aligned with French Symbolism than with any Cuban literary movement, making him an outlier among his contemporaries in the Cuban poetic tradition.
- 03.His two strongest literary influences, Stéphane Mallarmé and Paul Valéry, were both French poets known for their highly abstract and musically oriented approach to verse.
- 04.Despite spending much of his adult life abroad on diplomatic assignments in Europe and the Americas, Brull was born and died in Cuba.
- 05.Brull was considered the foremost Cuban practitioner of 'pure poetry,' a strand of modernist verse that valued aesthetic form over social or political subject matter.