María Antonieta Humeres de Doring (Chile) was a Chilean poet known for her deeply introspective and lyrical work. She gained significant recognition in Ecuador after winning the prestigious Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Prize in 1964 for her poetry collection Población de atardeceres (Population of Sunsets). Her poetry, often centered on themes of existential reflection, time, and the feminine experience, was featured in the anthology Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX. Although she was Chilean by birth, her literary success in Ecuador led to her frequent association with the Ecuadorian poetry.
Literary Career
Humeres’ literary career is most famously marked by her winning of the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Prize in 1964, awarded by the prominent Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo. This recognition was for her collection of poems titled Población de atardeceres, which solidified her place in Ecuadorian literary history, despite her Chilean origins. Her poetry, known for its introspective tone and deep emotional resonance, was included in the anthology Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX, published by the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana.
Humeres’ Población de atardeceres (Population of Sunsets) is a profound exploration of existential themes, marked by rich natural imagery and deep introspection. Throughout the collection, Humeres meditates on the transience of time, using the recurring metaphor of sunsets to symbolize the fleeting nature of life and memory. In poems like Nocturno and Ayer y hoy (Yesterday and Today), she portrays the inevitable transformation of the self over time, intertwining personal experiences with universal reflections on change, loss, and identity. Her language is lyrical yet emotionally restrained, allowing readers to feel the weight of each passing moment while capturing the speaker’s struggle with both her past and present.
Humeres also navigates the complexities of feminine identity, as seen in Porque me llamo mujer (Because I Am Called Woman), where she balances strength and vulnerability, presenting the female experience as one of both empowerment and sacrifice. Her use of nature as a mirror for internal emotional states — whether through rivers, wind, or the sea — deepens the emotional resonance of the collection, drawing parallels between the outer world and the speaker’s inner turmoil. Población de atardeceres ultimately stands out for its quiet existentialism and thoughtful exploration of the human condition, making it a significant contribution to Latin American poetry.
Selected Works
- Población de atardeceres (1964). You can read it here.
María Antonieta Humeres’ Población de atardeceres was not published as a standalone book but was included as part of a collection of winning poems in an anthology titled Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX, which compiled the works of various poets recognized in Ecuador’s prestigious Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Prize. While this small collection of poems earned her critical acclaim in 1964, there is no evidence of any full-length book solely authored by her. Her contribution to this anthology remains the most notable and accessible part of her literary output, leaving much of her potential body of work either unpublished or undocumented.
References
- Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua, “Desmateria – María Antonieta Humeres.” Retrieved on October 4, 2024. Click to view.
- Poemas de Ecuatorianos, “Población de atardeceres – María Antonieta Humeres.” Retrieved on October 4, 2024. Click to view.
- Biblioteca Municipal de Cuenca, “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX.” Retrieved on October 4, 2024. Click to view.
- Biblioteca Nacional del Ecuador, “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX – Ganadores del concurso Ismael Pérez Pazmiño.” Retrieved on October 4, 2024. Click to view.
- Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio – Ecuador, “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX – Ganadores del concurso Ismael Pérez Pazmiño (1964-1969).” Retrieved on October 4, 2024. Click to view.