Platero and I

work by Jiménez

Also known as: “Platero y yo”

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Last updated

July 2, 2026

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Platero and I is a prose work by Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, first published in 1917. It is a lyrical narrative that tells the story of the author's relationship with his donkey, Platero, in the Andalusian town of Moguer. The book is celebrated for its poetic language and its sensitive portrayal of rural life and the bond between humans and animals.

Jiménez, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956, is known for his "naked poetry" style, which emphasizes purity and stripped-down expression. Platero and I achieved significant popularity in the United States through its English translation, becoming one of his most widely recognized works. The term "Plateresque" refers to a Spanish architectural style, not to Jiménez's work.12

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Juan Ramón Jiménez
…translation of his prose work Platero y yo (1917; Platero and I), the story of a man and his donkey. He also collaborated with his wife in the translation of the Irish playwright John Millington Synge’s Riders to the Sea (1920). His poetic output during his life was immense. Among…
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…translation of his prose work Platero y yo (1917; Platero and I), the story of a man and his donkey. He also collaborated with his wife in the translation of the Irish playwright John Millington Synge’s Riders to the Sea (1920). His poetic output during his life was immense. Among…
Read More