Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
"A monster, unique, a singular example, She was a species in herself.
Nun, poet, musician, painter,
errant theologian. Embodied metaphor, living conceit,
beauty in a wimple, syllogism in a gown, a creature doubly to be feared;
her
voice enchants, her arguments kill."
Had I know she was to write verses I would not have placed her in the
convent but arranged her marriage" (Antonio Nuñez de Miranda, her confesor)
Sus textos: Soneto 145, Soneto 147, Redondilla 92
Su vida
1648? Baptized in Chimalhuacán, México
1651? According to first biographer, born in Nepantla, Mexico
1654 Learns to read at school
1658 Writes her first loa in praise of the sacraments
1664 Arrival of viceregal couple, Marquise and
Marquis de Mancera
Juana becames a lady-in-waiting at the court
1666 Enters the convent of the Discalced Carmenlites and leaves after three months
1668 Viceroy organizes an oral exam to test her knowledge
1669 Takes the veil at the convent of San Jerónimo
1680 Arrival of viceregal couple, Marquise and Marquis de La Laguna
1686 Arrival of viceroy, Count of Monclova
1689 Arrival of viceregal couple, Countess and Count of Galve
1689 First volume of her works published in Madrid
1690 Athenagoric Letter printed and dedicated by "Sor Filotea de la Cruz"
1691 Sor Juana writes The Answer
1692 Second volume of her works published in Sevilla
1693 Sor Juana makes a general confession
1694 She signs in blood a declaration of faith, repenting and giving up secular studies
1695 Sor Juana dies during an epidemic
1700 Third volume of her works published in Madrid
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Last Updated on November 6, 2001 by:
Dawn Bratsch-Prince (deprince@iastate.edu)
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