Mistral, Gabriela, << mees TRAHL, gah bree EH lah >> (1889-1957), was the pen name of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet and educator. In 1945, she became the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Her spare, plain style with its often Biblical flavor gave Spanish American poetry a fresh direction. She was a student of folk verse, particularly children’s rhymes and lullabies, and drew on these forms in developing her poetry. Her best-known books of poetry include Desolation (1922), Tenderness (1924), Felling of Trees (1934), and Wine Press (1954).
Mistral was born in Vicuña, Chile, on April 7, 1889. She was a rural schoolteacher and later became a prominent educator in Chile. She served in the foreign service of Chile and at the League of Nations. Mistral taught in the United States in the 1930’s. She died on Jan. 10, 1957.
