d speech. It is true that many imitated the
mysticism of Becquer or the pessimism of Nunez de Arce,
but many more turned for inspiration to native subjects
or to the literary works of other lands than Spain, and
particularly of France and Italy.

The extreme in local color was reached in the "_literatura
gauchesca_," which consists of collections of popular or
semi-popular ballads in the dialect of the _gauchos_, or
cowboys and "ranchers," of the Pampas. The best of
these collections,--_Martin Fierro_ (1872), by Jose
Fernandez,--is more artistic than popular. This long
poem, which in its language reminds the English reader of
Lowell's _Biglow Papers_, is the best-known and the most
widely read work by an Argentine author.

The greatest Argentine poets of the second half of the
century have been Andrade and Obligado. Olegario Victor
Andrade (1838-1882), the author of _Prometeo_ and
_Atlantida_, is generally recognized as one of the
foremost modern poets of Spanish America, and probably
the greatest poet that Argentina has as yet given to the
world. In art, Andrade was a disciple of Victor Hugo;
in philosophy, he was a believer in modern progress and
freedom of thought; but above all else was his loyal
patriotism to Argentina. Andrade's verses have inspiration
and enthusiasm, but they are too didactic and they are
marred by occasional incorrectness of speech. _Atlantida_,
a hymn to the future of the Latin race in America, is
the poet's last and noblest work (_Obras_, Buenos Aires,
1887).

It is said of Rafael Obligado (1852-) that he is more page 282
elegant and correct than Andrade, but his muse
has less inspiration. He has, moreover, the distinction of
showing almost no French influence, which is rare to-day
among Spanish-American writers. Juan Valera regrets
Obligado's excessive "Americanism," and laments the fact
that the poet uses many words of local origin that he,
Valera, does not understand. The poet's better works are,
for the most part, descriptions of the beauties of nature
or the legendary tales of his native land (_Poesias_,
Buenos Aires, 1885).

Among recent poets, two have especially distinguished
themselves. Leopoldo Diaz (1868-) began as a disciple of
Heredia, and has become a pronounced Hellenist, now a rare
phenomenon in Spanish America. Besides many sonnets
imbued with classicism, he has written odes to the
_conquistadores_ and to _Atlantida conquistada_. Like
Dario, Blanco-Fombon