Rui de Noronha

Rui de Noronha (born Oct. 29, 1909, Lourenço Marques, Mozambique—died Dec. 25, 1943, Lourenço Marques) was an African poet and journalist whose work influenced many younger writers.

Noronha, born of Indian and African parents, was constantly in conflict with racial prejudice and had to strive hard for an education. As an adult he lived an unhappy bohemian existence, which brought him into contact with the problems of the colony in which he lived. Since the posthumous publication of his one book, Sonetos (1943; “Sonnets”), he has been regarded as the father of Mozambique writing.

Noronha introduced a new note into African poetry—a mocking, pitiless appraisal; he taunts rather than praises. Noronha’s poetry reflects his mestiço background, for he borrows and mixes European verse tradition, indigenous Ronga language, biblical references, and images of modern technology.

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