Martí left his passion for this woman in the beautiful poem that he dedicated to his muse and which he titled with her name: Rosario.
When speaking of the most intellectual of all Cubans, what is often highlighted is the man who looked beyond his time and, despite his early death, left us for all time an ideology that has transcended generations, because he is the most important writer and poet of his time. But… maybe poets and people are two different things?
This is the question that expresses the essence that nakedly reflects the visible humanity of Martí, because he was not only a man of thought and action, an outstanding politician and intellectual with a sublime pen and a fascinating word, but also capable , to live the most profound sensations of an intense love life that did not always bring him triumphs but also some heartaches and disappointments.
One of the most significant of these was the rejection of one of the women who most embodied the feelings and sensuality of her time: the Mexican Rosario de la Peña y Llerena.
His first approach to this woman was associated with his arrival in the Aztec capital in the first days of February 1875. He was invited by his colleagues from the editorial staff of Universal Magazine to one of the literary meetings that took place in the Rosario residence and was introduced to him by his friend, doctor and poet Juan de Dios Peza. The most valuable Mexican poets, writers and philosophers of their time met there and, blinded by her charms, tried to find an opportunity to captivate the young Mexican girl.
Rosario de la Peña y Llerena was born on April 24, 1847 in Mexico City into a wealthy family. He was trained in music, painting and poetry, among other arts and crafts. She emphasizes that, although she was not a writer, her name is linked to the history of this country’s literature because she surrounded herself with the best Mexican intellectuals of her time.
At 28, he had an attractive personality; He was fascinated by his intelligence and the way he projected himself, which his own family upbringing had enabled him. Her merits include being a good declamator and an excellent speaker, outstanding qualities that impressed more than her own natural beauty.
Even Martí was not immune to this charm, which he captured in the beautiful poem that he dedicated to his muse and titled with her name: Rosario. The Mexican woman would clearly captivate him, and the passion with which he dedicated his verses to her bears witness to this.
The young orator par excellence showed his talent as a tribune at a young age. He also had a great ability to give free rein to his poetry and use words elegantly. Suffice it to point out one of his most sublime poetic works, written at the request of his friend Enrique Guasp: Amor con amor se pago.
If it were a waste of gallantry and passion, it would only be enough to approach Martí’s extensive letter writing, in which there are those love letters dedicated to the Mexican woman who aroused his passion. What stands out in them is the greatness and kindness with which he wrote to her poetically to express the purest of his feelings.
Once he dedicated the following words to her: “Rosario, it seems to me that an indescribable tenderness awakens in me; It seems to me that I can love without regret and without shame (…)”.
However, Martí was not the only man who was fascinated by the young woman’s charm. He emphasizes that in one of these letters he alludes to the death of the poet and playwright Manuel Acuña Narro, considered one of the most prominent representatives of Mexican Romanticism and who also dedicated the most outstanding part of his poetic work to Rosario. They called her the insensitive muse at the time . The suicidal poet dedicated his famous poem Nocturno to her.
The chances of the love life of this woman, who had become the central axis of a male literary group, did not go unnoticed in the literary meetings and discussions; Some were against the young woman’s stance, others supported her without remorse or moral questions, as in the case of José Martí. His statements were always aimed at defending her, since everyone accused him of the death of the unfortunate Acuña.
“Those who dream of ideas of deep freedom recognize the highest thing of all: feeling. Rosario could not love the sad Acuña even if he aroused her pity, because the heart is not commanded.
The events connected with the Mexican woman’s passions made her famous in and of themselves. Many, more than just attracted by her beauty and charm, wanted the challenge of conquering this indifferent heart, and our Martí was no exception. Weeks later he dedicated this text in prose: “I am excessively poor and rich in strength and desire to love.”
Rosario allowed himself to be seduced by his character and intelligence and kept the apostle’s hopes alive. He made her proud, but she didn’t reciprocate with the same fervor he longed for. His declaration of love was rejected and this contempt undoubtedly marked him.
Like the Master, many believed they had conquered it, but none have fully achieved it. Rosario de la Peña imprisoned her affections in a stone wall. In the case of Martí, not even the romance that he experienced with the famous actress Concha Padilla could make him forget this love that would be impossible for him.
His friend Manuel Mercado did everything to get him into a relationship with a beautiful young woman he met at the production and premiere of “Amor con amor sepaid”: Carmen Zayas Bazán. Not only did he think of marrying this woman despite the misfortunes of his life, but years later she would also become the mother of his son José Francisco. The love that Martí felt for the beautiful girl from Camagüey was instinctive, paying more attention to physical beauty than to her character.
However, this fateful disregard for love left its mark on him, and it would be difficult for him to overcome such a deep feeling, since this was a woman that the poets of her time portrayed not only as a symbol of the feminine, but also as the purest one Essence of beauty.
Rosario de la Peña, already elderly and approaching her 77th birthday, was interviewed for the Excelsior newspaper and was asked, among other things: “Who did you like the most in this gallery of famous people?” And she replied: “Pepe Martí, there is no doubt!”
*Bachelor in History
