ALFREDO R. PLACENCIA, THE POET FATHER

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive study of the life and poetic work of Alfredo R. Placencia (1875–1930), a Jalisco-born priest and one of the most significant figures in twentieth-century Mexican religious poetry. Through a biographical approach, the author reconstructs Placencia’s family background, education, and social context, emphasizing the influence of the religious environment of Los Altos de Jalisco, his years at the Conciliar Seminary of Guadalajara, and the economic and existential hardships that shaped his life. The study analyzes the close relationship between Placencia’s priestly experience and his poetry, which is marked by intense spiritual struggle, feelings of humility before God, guilt, faith, and trust in divine mercy. The article also situates his work within the historical context of the Mexican Revolution and religious persecution, showing how these events permeate his poetry as a testimony of both individual and collective suffering. Special attention is given to Placencia’s poetic language, which combines deep religiosity with simple expressions drawn from rural Jalisco speech, as well as to his constant dialogue with Christ and the Virgin Mary. The article concludes that Placencia’s work represents an outstanding example of modern Mexican religious poetry, notable for both its spiritual authenticity and its aesthetic value.