Pompeyo del Valle

Pompeyo del Valle was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on October 26, 1928. Son of Carlos del Valle y Soldevilla (from Peru) and Carmen Moncada Rivera, he was born and raised at his maternal grandmother’s house in the neighborhood La Ronda, close to the Metropolitan Cathedral and the City Hall. Pompeyo del Valle is a poet, essayist, storyteller and journalist. Del Valle made his debut as a journalist in the pages of political newspapers such as, El chilío, Worker’s Voice, Alliance of Democratic Youth, among others. After many adventures and misadventures, Del Valle became involved with the drafting of two major national newspapers at the time, El Cronista and El Día. He became Director of the Journal of the National Autonomous University of Honduras [1].
Simultaneously with his career as a journalist began his career as a poet. Del Valle belongs to the literary generation of the 50 [2].
Among his works are La Ruta Fulgurante (poetry, 1956), Retrato de un Niño Ausente (prose, 1969), Nostalgia y Belleza del Amor (poetry, 1970) and Ciudad con Dragones (poetry, 1980).
Some of his works have been translated into several languages, including English, Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian.

Early life

In 1935 he began his elementary studies at the Boys School Francisco Morazán. In 1940 he feels an immense attraction for literature. The film industry helps him endure the hostile reality that anguish him. He reads relentlessly. He attended the National School of Fine Arts. Here he meets David Moya Posas, who will be his fellow literary generation (the 50). In 1944 his mother died at an early age, this event is extremely painful and difficult to the poet Del Valle. Whitman, Neruda, Hikmet, Maples Arce and Spanish poets of the generation of 27 (after many efforts and failures) would help him endure the pain of losing his mother and to find his voice. In 1948 Moya Posas introduces him to Armando Zelaya, Adolfo Alemán and Oscar Acosta, all of them will belong to the literary generation of the 50.

Writing Career

In 1950 Del valle, lives about two years the Guatemalan revolutionary experience. In 1956 he published his first book (La Ruta Fulgurante) [1] under the pseudonym of Adán Marino. In May 1954 the great strike of the banana workers took place on the north coast of Honduras, Del valle was there, writing in verse and prose, next to the "wretched of the earth".

In 1957 he travels to USSR, during the VI World Festival of Youth and Students for Peace and Friendship among People held in Moscow from July 28 to August 11. Here he interviews with the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, one of his favorite writers.[2].

In 1960 he Works as head of the Public Library Camilo Cienfuegos, founded and supported by the Embassy of Cuba in Honduras. He travels to Havana, where he meets the poet Nicolas Guillen, Guillen dedicates an edition of his literary page in the newspaper Hoy to Del Valle. On August 9, Del valle gives a lecture on “Poetry and the way of life” in the Auditorium of the Cuban National Printing House.

On October 31, 1962 the political police break in to his home as a part of the repressive action of the government of Villeda Morales as a result of the US blockade against the island. In those days he writes and publishes his poetry collection El Fugitivo. Lives and works in his own moving underground. Discloses a manifesto addressed to students and young writers. In 1963 the political police captures him. Thrown into exile he lives in Mexico and Europe (1964). Repatriated in 1970, the National Autonomous University of Honduras published his book Nostalgia y belleza del amor, in whose pages we find significant texts to the Honduran literature in development.

In 1981 he attends as a special guest, to the Children’s Book Fair, in Bologna, Italy. In 2005 he participates in the Poetics Ibero-American Summit held in Salamanca, Spain, organized by the foundation Salamanca City of Culture, from the 6 to 8 of October.

Poems

Below are two poems from Del Valle.

"Estudio de mi madre

Mi madre tenía la piel blanca y los ojos castaños. Su vida fue corta y nada fácil. Le gustaba vivir y soñar en cosas imposibles. A veces se ponía una flor en los cabellos y cantaba. La espuma del jabón corría en tanto -olorosa, inocente- por sus manos.

Mi madre tenía los dedos finos, tiernos y hábiles. De sus manos salían flores, frutos y pájaros de hilo. Amaba la belleza y vivió poco. El sol brillaba sobre su frente de muchacha"Poem from his book Nostalgia y belleza del amor (1970).

“París, verano de 1966

Íntima calle llena de puestos de frutas. Casas bajas con balcones hacia el Sena. Íntima calle con un organillo y un hotel pequeño balanceándose en un rincón de la tarde.

París es una chica con el rostro más lindo del planeta. Una chica humilde que cambia la ropa blanca de las camas.

El sol cruza una puerta esmerilada, elude unos losanges amarillos”Poem from his book Piano de cola en el mar (2006).

List of works

• La ruta fulgurante (poesía, 1956)
• Antología mínima (poesía, 1958)
• El fugitivo (poesía, 1962)
• Cifra y rumbo de abril (panfleto, 1964)
• Retrato de un niño ausente (poesía, 1969)
• Nostalgia y belleza del amor (poesía, 1970)
• El hondureño hombre mítico (prosa, 1977)
• Ciudad con dragones (poesía, 1980)
• Los hombres verdes de ula (cuentos, 1982)
• Duración de lo eterno (poesía, 1989)
• Poemas selectos (poesía, 1989)
• Una escama de oro y otra de plata (tradiciones, 1989)
• El encantado vino del otoño (poesía, 2002)
• Comer y beber en Honduras (ensayo, 2002)
• Piano de cola en el mar (poesía, 2006)
• La imaginaria línea del horizonte (poesía, 2010)
• Recado para un mirlo blanco (autobiografía, 2012)

Some of the awards given to Del valle are listed below:

• 1978 Premio Ramón Amaya Amador conferido por la Alcaldía Municipal de Tegucigalpa.
• 1978 Premio IV Centenario de la Fundación de Tegucigalpa, conferido por el Consejo Metropolitano del Distrito Central por su poemario Ciudad con dragones.
• 1981 Premio Nacional de Literatura Ramón Rosa conferido por el Estado de Honduras.
• 1989 Hoja de laurel de oro conferido por el Ministerio de Cultura, Artes y Deportes.
• Premio de Literatura José Trinidad Reyes conferido por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.
• 1980 Premio de narrativa por su libro Los Hombres verdes de ula conferido por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras [1].