Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier
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Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier (1819-1879) born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico - Poet.
Benitez de Gautier became an orphan at an early age and was raised and educated by her aunt, the poet and author Maria Bibiana Benitez.
Benitez de Gautier collaboration with the "Aguinaldo Puertorriqueño" (Collection of Puerto Rican Poetry) gave her recognition as a poet. This work, which was published in 1843 by a group of young writers, of whom she was a member, was considered as the first generation of the Puerto Rican literary culture.
Benitez de Gautier wrote a poem entitled "La Patria del Genio" (The Nation of the Genius) dedicated to Jose Campeche; for this poem she was awarded 100 Spanish pesos from the "La Sociedad Economica Amigos del Pais" (Friends of the Economic Society of Puerto Rico).
Amongst her most celebrated works are:
- "Al Cable Submarino en Puerto Rico" (To the Under Sea Cable in Puerto Rico),
- "A La Estatua de Colón en Cardenas" ( To the Statue of Columbus in Cardenas), and
- "A Cuba" (To Cuba).
Benotez de Gautier married Rodulfo Gautier, thus becoming Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier. On April 12,1848, in the City of Caguas, Puerto Rico she gave birth to Jose Gautier Benitez who was to become a famous poet.
Alejandrina Benitez de Gautier died in 1879 at the age of 60.
Puerto Rico has honoured her memory by naming schools after her; there is also a school in Brooklyn, New York named in her honour.