30 MOST FAMOUS MEXICAN POETS IN HISTORY - LITERATURE - 2025

Among the most famous Mexican poets that often come to mind we find Octavio Paz, José Emilio Pacheco or Jaime Sabines, but there are many more who have made the verse great. Mexican poetry has historically been one of the most developed in Latin America and has been an example for Latin American poets.

Since their independence in the early nineteenth century, Mexican poets have stood out for their romantic, costumbrista, revolutionary and avant-garde prose. In any case, there are references to Mexican poetry from the seventeenth century.

Among the works that have been preserved to this day are Triunfo Parténico de Sigüenza and Góngora. Also in the seventeenth century, Matías Bocanegra wrote Canción in view of a disappointment, and Juan de Guevara wrote his most fabulous entry into Mexico for the Viceroy Duque de Alburquerque.

In the 18th century, many poets stand out: José Luis Velasco Arellano, Cayetano Cabrera y Quintero, José Lucas Anaya or José Agustín de Castro, to name a few. In the book Anthology of Mexican Poets, published at the end of the 19th century, there is an account of Mexican colonial poetry.

You may also be interested in this list of Latin American writers.

The 30 best known Mexican poets

1- Manuel Acuña

The Mexican poet Manuel Acuña, one of the most famous romantic poets of the 19th century in Mexico, had a brief but fruitful literary career. He was a doctor and in his romantic works the influence of positivism is felt.

In 1868 he began his literary career, which was interrupted by his suicide in 1873. Among his works stand out "Before a corpse", "Nocturnal" and "Dry leaves". His most representative work, “Nocturno”, is dedicated to Rosario de la Peña, the woman he was in love with. It is said that other poets also courted Rosario, such as the famous Cuban poet José Martí.

2- Manuel M. Flores

A native of San Andrés Chalchicomula, Manuel M. Flores is one of the most important representatives of Mexican romanticism. He was noted for his "Inéditas Poetry" and "Fallen Roses", which were published after his death.

He belonged to the Liberal Party that fought against the French for the restoration of the republic. His poems "El beso", "Flor de un día" and "Amémonos" stand out. She was the lover of Rosario de la Peña.

3- Ignacio Manuel Altamirano

The poet with indigenous roots, Ignacio Manuel Altamirano, dedicated his life to public service, pedagogy, and literature. He was born in Tixtla in 1834.

All his work is distinguished by its autochthonous themes, where the Indian and the history of Mexico were the main themes, which differentiated him from other authors of the time who followed the European literary tradition of the time. His works "End of a love" and "Dark Love" stand out.

4- Justo Sierra Méndez

One of the greatest promoters of the founding of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Writer, poet and politician, Justo Sierra Méndez stood out for his poetic works "Piedad", "El angel del provenir" and "Conversations on Sunday."

He was born in Campeche, he was a deputy, professor at the National Preparatory School and director of the National Journal of Letters and Sciences. He was a disciple of Ignacio Manuel Altamirano.

5- Guillermo Prieto

The prolific poet Guillermo Prieto, born in 1818, was characterized by reflecting in his poetry not only romantic ideas, but also Mexican customs and folklore. Among his most outstanding works are "Mortality" and "Ensueños."

6- Octavio Paz

The winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature, Octavio Paz, wrote poetry and essays. He also stood out as a translator, professor, diplomat, journalist and lecturer. He lived in the United States, France, and India.

He is famous for his books "El Laberinto de la Soledad" and "Postscript" where he argues that historical events formed the Mexican pessimistic mentality. His poetry is subtle and his rhyme is difficult to grasp. One of his most famous poems is "Two bodies."

7- Alfonso Reyes Ochoa

The play "Ifigenia Cruel" by Alfonso Reyes Ochoa was turned into an opera by Leandro Espinosa, leading it to popularity. The poet was also a diplomat and essayist.

He founded the Ateneo de la Juventud, where the most enlightened intellectuals from Mexico and Latin America of the time met to discuss the Greek classics.

He criticized writers who followed the European literary tradition and called on society to develop its own literature.

8- José Emilio Pacheco

The Mexican nihilist poet José Emilio Pacheco was part of the "Generation of the fifties." His most famous poem is "Natural perfections." His books "The Pleasure Principle" and "Battles in the Desert" also stand out.

9- Amado Nervo

The intimate and personal prose of Amado Nervo transcended to Europe. His works, such as the poem "Cowardice" or the novel "The Bachelor" were a look "inward" and an attempt to describe "the intimate, arcane, mysterious soul of things themselves."

The author's book of verses "Mystics" was characterized by exposing the desires, sufferings and concerns of the human being.

10- Jaime Torres Bodet

A member of the group "Los conteneos", the poet Jaime Torres Bodet, was also a public servant and essayist. Bodet's works are characterized by seeking a new way of narrating the events. One of his most outstanding poems is "Ambición".

11- Jaime Sabines

The avant-garde poetry of Jaime Sabines touches on topics such as politics. He was also a deputy in congress, which allowed him to see closely the abuses committed by many politicians. His works such as "To my mother", "I feel that I lose you" and "Spring" stand out.

They called him "The Literature Sniper" because his works dealt with crude themes of reality. The poet considered the poem "Something about the death of Major Sabines" as his best work, in which he talked about his father.

12- Xavier Villaurrutia

Xavier Villaurrutia was also a member of the group “Los conteneos”. His poetic work was influenced by surrealism and can be described as dark, as it deals with themes such as desolation, death, abandonment and depression. His most outstanding works are: "Nostalgia for death", "Tenth death", "Nocturns" and "Songs to spring and other poems."

13- José Juan Tablada Acuña

José Juan Tablada Acuña is recognized as the father of modern Mexican poetry. The Mexican diplomat, journalist and poet introduced the haiku (Japanese genre) to Latin American poetry.

He was noted for the use of metaphors in his works and for his calligrams. His works stand out: "Japan", "The peacock", "The turtle", "The nightingale" and "Li-po". The latter is a poem with graphic elements or calligram.

14- Enrique González Martínez

According to the intellectual Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Enrique González Martínez was one of the "seven major gods of Mexican poetry."

The founder of the National College stood out for his works "When you know how to find a smile…", "Tomorrow the poets", "You will go on the life of things" and others. His poems are of great philosophical depth. His work "Absence and Song", which he wrote for the death of his wife, stood out.

15- Ramón López Velarde

Considered the Mexican national poet, Ramón López Velarde is listed as a modernist. During and after the Mexican revolution, López Valverde stood out for touching on issues about the countryside and the city, society, Mexicanness, youth and others.

His works "The Devout Blood", "Zozobra" and "El son del corazón" stand out. Despite being one of the most famous poets in Mexico, he is little known abroad.

16- Alfonso Reyes

"The universal regiomontano" Alfonso Reyes was the Mexican ambassador to Argentina, where he met with some of the most important intellectuals of the time, among them Jorge Luis Borges.

The Argentine author considered the Mexican poet the best prose writer in the Spanish language and wrote the poem "In memoriam" in his honor. Among his poems are "Cantata in the tomb of Federico García Lorca", "Huellas" or "Sol de Monterrey".

17- Carlos Pellicer Chamber

Carlos Pellicer Cámara, another member of the group “Los conteneos”, was characterized by uniting modernism and the avant-garde in his work. He was also a museologist and teacher.

In his works he tries to portray the beauty of the world through metaphor. His poems "Speeches for the flowers", "Colors in the sea and other poems", "Flight practice" and others stand out.

18- Manuel Maples Arce

Manuel Maples Arce, when publishing his manifesto «Actual (Nº1)», founded the Estridentismo. This movement sought to represent the Mexican masses and was a fusion of Cubism, Dadaism, and Futurism. Arce, besides being a poet, was a lawyer and diplomat.

His work "Anthology of Modern Mexican Poetry" (1940) is essential to understand the development of Mexican poetry. His most outstanding poetic work is "The interdicted poems."

19- Renato Leduc

The journalist and poet Renato Leduc stood out for his erotic and direct work, where he dealt with very explicit topics with a touch of humor and the use of colloquial language. His plain way of expressing himself made him a popular writer. His sonnet of the time also stood out. Among his most important works are "The classroom, etc." and "Some deliberately romantic poems and a somewhat unnecessary prologue."

20- Bernardo Ortiz

A member of the group "Los Contemporáneos", Bernardo Ortiz de Montellano was a poet, essayist, playwright, narrator and translator. His poetry was postmodernist and his most representative work is "Second Dream."

21- Elías Nandino Vallarte

The modernist poet Elías Nandino Vallarte was associated with "Los Estridentistas" (Estridentismo) and later with "Los Contemporáneos." His first creative stage was marked by dark themes, such as death, night, doubt and death.

On the other hand, in his mature stage the poet adopted a personal style and dealt with much more everyday subjects. At the end of his life, his prose became a mixture of metaphysics and eroticism. His works stand out: "Eroticism to the white red", "Intimate Banquet" and "Nocturnal word".

22- José Gorostiza Alcala

The author of “Fin sin muerte”, one of the most important poems of the 20th century in Spanish, José Gorostiza Alcalá wrote only four books during his life. He was known as the poet of intelligence and his poetry.

Although it appeared simple, it is complex due to its meaning, its linguistic complexity and its lyricism.

23- Salvador Novo

The historian, poet, playwright and essayist Salvador Novo portrayed in his works themes such as the arrival of a provincial to the capital, modernity and modern inventions of the early twentieth century and human feelings such as love.

24- Efraín Huerta

The poet and journalist Efraín Huerta stands out for having created the literary trend of "Poemínino", a small humorous verse full of irony, cynicism and sarcasm. His style is influenced by Juan Ramón Jiménez and Pablo Neruda, the «Generación del 27» and «Los Contemporáneos».

His works include "Forbidden Poems and Love", "Poetic Plot" and "Stampede of Poems". Scholars of his work consider that there are 4 major themes in his prose: the city and the devastation, politics and love.

In his works "Standing Stalingrad" and "Song to Soviet Peace" he exposes his communist ideas and criticizes capitalism and imperialism.

25- Veronica Volkow Fernandez

Verónica Volkow Fernández is a poet, essayist, and university professor and researcher. Author of more than five books on poetry, such as Litoral de Tinta and Los Caminos. She is a professor at UNAM and in her works reflects her interest in the relationship between poetry and painting.

26- Carmen Boullosa

Carmen Boullosa is a poet, novelist, professor and playwright, standing out more for her series of novels. Among her outstanding poetic works are "La patria insomne", "Ingobernable" and "Loyalty". Most of her works deal with historical themes, although some reflect more human feelings and situations such as alienation.

27- Coral Bracho

Coral Bracho is a Mexican poet, translator and academic. Awarded by the Aguascalientes National Poetry Prize for her work "The being that is going to die." Her poetry fits within the Latin American neo-baroque. Among her works are "Under the liquid flash", "Land of fiery entrails" and "She laughs at the emperor."

28- Francisco Segovia

Francisco Segovia is one of the most outstanding Mexican poets of today. He is a founding member and contributor to the magazines Fractal and Vuelta. His works include Elegy, Forest, Beads and other accounts, The inhabited air and Nao.

29- Vicente Quirarte

The university professor and once Director of the National Library of Mexico Vicente Quirarte is an essayist and poet. He won the Francisco González León National Prize for Young Poetry in 1979. Among his outstanding poems are "Fra Filippo Lippi." "Cancionero de Lucrecia Butti" and "Light does not die alone."

30- Victor Manuel Mendiola Patiño

Víctor Manuel Mendiola Patiño is an essayist, poet and editor. He won the Latin Prize for Literature in 2005 for his book of poems "Tan oro y Ogro." Other notable works by the author are "4 for Lulú", "Flight 294" and "Revolution Paper".