MIGUEL ANTONIO CARO: BIOGRAPHY, LITERARY STYLE, WORKS - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

Miguel Antonio Caro (1843-1909) was a Colombian writer, journalist, philologist, humanist, and politician. The life of this intellectual passed between his Hispanic thinking, the fight against radical politics and Catholic values.

His literary work included poetry, essays, criticism and the study of the Spanish language. His texts were characterized by the use of a cultured, precise and shrewd language. His poetry had classical features and the comparisons were notorious in the description of nature.

Miguel Antonio Caro. Source: Culture Bank of the Republic, via Wikimedia Commons

Caro wrote about history, grammar, linguistics, religion, national values, politics, philosophy, and nature. Some of his best known titles were: Grammar of the Latin language, Of use and its relations with language and From here and there, translations and recasts. The author was also dedicated to translating the poems of Virgilio and Horacio.

Biography

Birth and family

Miguel Antonio José Zolio Cayetano Andrés Avelino de las Mercedes Caro Tobar was born on November 10, 1843 in Bogotá, in times of the Republic of New Granada. He came from a cultured family, with a good socioeconomic position and a political and military tradition. His parents were José Eusebio Caro and Blasina Tobar Pinzón. The writer had a sister named Margarita Caro Tobar.

Studies

Caro's years of educational training were limited by the different political and military conflicts that her nation experienced in the mid-19th century.

The above described meant that he could not attend school, so he learned on his own. The writer received teachings from his father and his maternal grandfather Miguel Tobar. Caro was also unable to attend college.

Literary beginnings

Although Caro did not attend university due to the situation in the country in his time, that did not prevent him from acquiring knowledge in different areas. So he learned about literature, poetry, and grammar. He quickly made his way into writing with the publication of Poems in 1866 and Grammar of the Latin language in 1867.

Journalism and politics

Caro's taste for writing led him to venture into journalism. This is how he created the newspaper El Tradicionista in 1871. The intellectual used the aforementioned printed medium to express his political thought and criticize the radical behavior of the governments of that time.

The political ideals of the writer were far from the conservative spirit of his father, José Eusebio Caro. For this reason, he exposed in the pages of his newspaper the need to establish a party with Catholic values ​​to face the nation's problems.

However, the political project of Miguel Antonio Caro did not prosper due to the interests of the ecclesiastical elite of Bogotá. Despite the opposition he received, the writer did not give up his political ideas and came to advance in the governmental plane of his country in a forceful way.

Caro and the Constitution of 1886

Caro established himself in politics over the years and remained constant in his performance as a writer. The intellectual participated in the consolidation of the National Party together with Rafael Núñez. Then the well-known Regeneration movement originated.

The idea of ​​change in the foundations of Colombian politics and society was called "Regeneration." This conception produced the creation of the Constitution of 1886. Miguel Antonio Caro participated in the drafting of the articles, and defended it vigorously and forcefully before the members of the National Council of Delegations.

Caro's constitutional proposals

Caro's main proposals in the Constitution of 1886 were to grant citizens a broad participation in the decisions of the State and a direct intervention of the corporations in the debates of the Senate of the Republic.

The politician also argued the importance of making voting a right for all the people, regardless of their economic position. With this proposal, the State ceased to be a “shareholders company”.

Statue in honor of Miguel antonio Caro. Source: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, via Wikimedia Commons

Miguel Antonio advocated for a Constitution based on Christian precepts and for the independence of the municipalities as a way to decentralization.

Literary growth

Miguel Antonio Caro combined his political work with his literary career. The writer developed several works of poetic, linguistic and political content between 1881 and 1891. Some of the most outstanding publications of that time were: On use and its relations with language, Freedom of the press, Poetic translations and From here and there.

Caro, Vice President of the Republic

Miguel Antonio Caro and Rafael Núñez made a good political duo since the constitutional proposal in 1886. Together they integrated the formula of the National Party for the presidential elections of 1891; Núñez was proposed for the presidential candidacy and Caro for the vice-presidency of the Republic.

Caro and Núñez were elected in the elections. Miguel Antonio assumed the investiture of vice president on August 7, 1892 and Rafael could not officially assume the position of president due to his health situation, which kept him in Cartagena for a long time.

From vice president to president

Miguel Antonio Caro served as vice president between 1892 and 1894. Later, the politician and writer assumed the presidency of the Republic as of September 1894 after the death of Rafael Núñez.

Caro's role in the executive branch lasted until 1898, but out of respect and admiration for Núñez, he did not use the title of president.

Fruits of his presidential administration

The six years that Caro was in power were not entirely easy, that was due to strong opposition and constant attacks from the conservatives. The president skillfully handled the different events and was able to maintain himself. He managed to get the tobacco company back and had the state run it.

In the first years of Miguel Antonio's administration, the town stood up for the control that the State exercised over the production and commercialization of tobacco. Caro authorized General Antonio Cuervo to restore public order. The president managed to nationalize the liquor industry.

Use of military force

Caro had to face an uprising by the liberals in 1895, who opposed the president's government policies. Consequently, the then president ordered General Rafael Reyes to devise a military campaign to attack the core of the rebellion.

Reyes carried out the order of President Miguel Antonio Caro and entered the town of Facatativá. Then the military troops crossed the Magdalena and Atlantic Coast regions until they reached Santander. There they located the rebels and the attacks that originated the war in the town of Enciso began.

The government of the five days

An outstanding episode during the presidential term of Miguel Antonio Caro was the so-called government of the five days. Caro went to spend time in Sopó and left Guillermo Quintero Calderón in charge, but he did not know his intentions.

Quintero was on the side of the conservatives and began to make decisions against the nationalists. Caro quickly realized it and resumed his duties from Sopó. From there he ordered his minister of government and war (Manuel Casabianca) to restore the national order through the ideals and norms of the National Party.

End of the presidential term

Caro's presidential term culminated in 1898 with the arrival of the Nationalists to power. Miguel Antonio's party continued in the political reins of the country with the election of Manuel Antonio Sanclemente as president and José Manuel Marroquín as vice-presidency.

Although the National Party made an effort to continue leading, Marroquín played against it. The then vice president overthrew Sanclemente in 1900 with the help of a conservative leadership. That event sparked the Thousand Day War.

Last years and death

Miguel Antonio retired from politics at the beginning of the 20th century and devoted himself to writing in the last decade of his life. To a large extent, his texts were published in various printed media of the time.

Tomb of Miguel Antonio Caro in the central cemetery of Bogotá. Source: Jdvillalobos, via Wikimedia Commons

Caro's life began to deteriorate due to different health problems and he died on August 5, 1909 in the city where he was born. His remains were buried in the Central Cemetery of Bogotá.

Recognitions

- Founding member of the Colombian Academy of Language in 1871.

- Honorary member of the Mexican Academy of Language as of November 5, 1878.

- Corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy.

- He received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa in letters and jurisprudence from the universities of Mexico and Chile.

Literary style

Miguel Antonio Caro's literary style was characterized by the use of a cultured, well-elaborated, precise and critical language. The prose work of this distinguished Colombian was deep, analytical and based on extensive research. The theme of his texts was about politics, history, religion, philosophy and about the homeland.

As for his poetry, Caro stood out for the classical features, the subjective character and the high humanistic content. In his verses there was firmness and sensitivity at the same time. The author wrote to the country, to freedom, to nature and to love. His intelligence and skill were notorious in the translation of the Latin poets.

Plays

Brief description of some works

Grammar of the Latin language

It was one of the main works of Miguel Antonio Caro and he wrote it jointly with Rufino José Cuervo in 1867. The authors were in charge of explaining some Latin words and phrases in relation to their use and meaning. Besides having a grammatical essence, the book had philosophical features.

Fragments of some of his poems

Homeland

"Homeland! I adore you in my mute silence, and I fear to profane your holy name.

For you I have enjoyed and suffered so much

how much mortal tongue he could not say.

I do not ask for the protection of your shield, but the sweet shadow of your mantle:

I want to pour my tears into your bosom, live, die in you poor and naked.

Neither power, nor splendor, nor freshness, they are reasons to love. Another is the tie

that no one could ever unleash.

I love your lap by my instinct.

Mother are you of my family:

Homeland! of your entrails I am a piece ”.

She

"The sweet expression that his face bathes, the placid sparkle from his eyes, reveals the love of a beautiful soul, that the heart subdues and does not deceive him.

From the sky, descending to my cabin

with vagueness of cloud and starlight, she, my deep solitudes, she

my silent thoughts accompany.

Like spreading the flying wing, hope, in captivity, fleeing seems, although fleeing delays.

Lover like woman, like goddess elusive:

-that's how I see the one that the breast adores-;

thus, immobile at the same time, and fugitive- “.

The golden arrow

"I am looking for a golden arrow

what a fairy child I acquired, and keep the sacred treasure

-he said- your luck is there.

My father was a prince: wants

one day appoint a successor, and the one with two children prefers

that I will shoot better at the target.

A fraternal liza on the plain

we go out with vigor and faith:

the tip that my brother throws

sticking in the target looks…

I look for the golden arrow

What a fairy child I acquired… ”.

References

1. Miguel Antonio Caro. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org
2. Tamaro, E. (2019). Miguel Antonio Caro. (N / a): Biographies and Lives. Recovered from: biografiasyvidas.com
3. Páramo, J. (2017). Miguel Antonio Caro. Colombia: Banrepcultural. Recovered from: encyclopedia.banrepcultural.org
4. Miguel Antonio Caro. (S. f.). Cuba: EcuRed. Recovered from: ecured.cu
5. Poems by Miguel Antonio Caro Tovar. (2013). (N / a): Riding Centaur. Recovered from: centaurocabalgante.blogspot.com