Nietzsche in Spanish American modernism: Rubén Darío (“Lo fatal” and “Nocturno”)

Abstract

This article presents a strategic review of the reception of Friedrich Nietzsche's thought in Latin America and in the work of Rubén Darío, considering its insertion in the context of Latin American modernism. It explores the German author's philosophical and aesthetic appropriation, mediated by fin-de-siècle French culture and by the tensions between secularisation, Christian tradition and the desire for cultural renewal. The study begins with a review of the general contextualisation of Nietzsche's presence in Latin America, with attention to figures such as José Enrique Rodó, before focusing on the ambiguous figure of Darío as a reader of the philosopher. Through a comparative analysis of the poems “Lo fatal” and “Nocturno”, it examines how the poet manifests a torn attitude influenced by Nietzsche. The figure of Nietzsche appears as an emblem of broken modernity, which Darío assumes in a tragic rather than affirmative key.