One of the most important Latin-American writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Nicaraguan poet and essayist Ruben Dario (the pen name of Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento) is considered the high priest of the modernismo school of literature, known for its dazzling verbal virtuosity and technical perfection. The present volume contains a rich selection of Dario's best poems and stories, carefully chosen from "Azul" (Blue), "Prosas profanas" (Worldly Hymns), "Cantos de vida y esperanza" (Songs of Life and Hope), "El canto errante" (The Wandering Song), and "Poema del otono" (Poem of autumn). Stanley Appelbaum has provided accurate English translations (line for line in the poetry section) on the pages facing the original Spanish, as well as an informative introduction to Dario's life and work, and annotations to the individual stories and poems. The result is a superb resource for any student of Spanish language and literature or anyone interested in one of the earliest and most influential literary movements of the twentieth century."