Julián del Casal de la Lastra

Julián del Casal y de la Lastra was a Cuban poet and writer and one of the greatest exponents of modernism in Latin America

He was born in La Habana, son of Julián del Casal y Ugareda, a native of Vizcaya, and María del Carmen de la Lastra y Owens, a native of Artemisa. The death of his mother in 1868 saddened his childhood.

He studied at the Real Colegio de Belén, where he founded a handwritten newspaper titled El Estudiante. Julián del Casal obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1879.

He published his first known poem in a weekly journal of art, science and literature called El Ensayo, in the issue published on February 13, 1881. That same year he began working as a clerk in the Ministry of Finance and enrolled in the Law School of the University of La Habana. However, he abandoned his law studies to dedicate himself to literature.

In November 1888 he undertook a trip to Europe with the intention of visiting París, a city that attracted him greatly. However, this trip was thwarted.

He was in Madrid, where he became friends with Salvador Rueda and Francisco Asís de Icaza, and finally returned to Cuba in 1889 without having managed to visit the capital of France.

Back in his country, he began attending the gatherings at the Galería Literaria and in 1890 he published his first book of poems Hojas al viento. Having abandoned his position in Finance, he worked as a proofreader and later as a journalist. In these years he meets Juana Borrero.

In 1891 Rubén Darío had arrived in La Habana, with whom Casal formed a friendship. The former dedicated to him El clavicordio de la abuela; Casal, for his part, had managed that same year to have Darío's poem La negra Dominga published in La Caricatura; he also published an article about his friend in La Habana Elegante on January 5, 1893.

On the afternoon of October 21, 1893, in the newsroom of La Habana Elegante, Casal wrote a brief piece to which he gave the title Mi libro de Cuba, which deals with the text by Lola Rodríguez de Tió. He also partially proofread his book Bustos y rimas.

That same night he died suddenly at the after-dinner gathering of a family friend, at the home of doctor Lucas de los Santos Lamadrid. In a fit of laughter provoked by a joke from one of those present, he suffered a hemorrhage and suffered the fatal rupture of an aneurysm.

Chronology
1863
November 7:

Julián del Casal y de la Lastra is born in La Habana. His parents are Julián del Casal y Ugareda, a native of Vizcaya, and María del Carmen de la Lastra y Owens, a native of Artemisa, Pinar del Río.



1868
His mother, María del Carmen de la Lastra, dies.



1873
Casal enters the Real Colegio de Belén.



1877
He founds at the Colegio de Belén a newspaper titled El Estudiante, a clandestine handwritten newspaper.



1879
He obtains his Bachelor's degree.



1881
Casal's first poem appears in El Ensayo, a weekly journal of science, art and literature. It is in the issue corresponding to February 13. It is Casal's first known contribution to a press publication.
He works as a clerk in the Ministry of Finance. He enrolls in the Law School of the University of La Habana. He abandons his studies shortly thereafter.



1885
February 9:

His father, Julián del Casal y Ugareda, dies. He begins his collaboration in La Habana Elegante in the issue corresponding to April 19. It is the poem "Nocturno" which later appeared in Hojas al viento. Nicolás Azcárate introduces him to Ramón Meza, in whose library he meets with Enrique Hernández Miyares, Manuel de la Cruz and Aurelio Mitjáns. He attends the gatherings of José Ma. Céspedes.



1886
He begins his collaboration in El Fígaro, which has an irregular character.



1888
March 25:

He begins to publish in La Habana Elegante articles on "La sociedad de La Habana," under the pseudonym of Conde de Camors.



November:

Casal departs for Madrid. There he becomes friends with Salvador Rueda and Francisco A. de Icaza.



1889
He returns to Cuba. He attends the gatherings at the Galería Literaria.



1890
He publishes his first book of poems: Hojas al viento. He collaborates in La Discusión, El País and La Caricatura. He signs with the pseudonyms of Hernani and Alceste. He meets Juana Borrero.

He begins his collaboration in La Habana Literaria.



1891
He publishes his second book: Nieve.
He collaborates in El Hogar. Rubén Darío arrives in La Habana and becomes friends with Casal. Darío's poem "La negra Dominga" appears in La Caricatura, thanks to Casal. That same year, Darío dedicates "El clavicordio de la abuela" to him. Verlaine writes to Hernández Miyares praising Casal's poems.



1893
January 15:

He publishes his article about Rubén Darío in La Habana Elegante.



October 7:

He writes a letter to Rubén Darío in which he senses his death.


October 21:

In the afternoon he goes to the newsroom of La Habana Elegante. He writes a brief piece which he titles "Mi libro de Cuba" and which deals with the text by Lola Rodríguez de Tió. He corrects part of the proofs of his book Bustos y rimas.
He goes to dinner at the home of Dr. Lucas de los Santos Lamadrid at Prado 111. After dinner, when one of those present makes a joke, Casal bursts out laughing; he suffers a hemorrhage and dies from the rupture of an aneurysm.
Nieve is published in México. The poet Luis G. Urbina writes the prologue.