José Enrique Rodó (1872-1917) was a Uruguayan essayist and literary critic. A stylist and moralist, he aimed especially to maintain Latin American thought and society on a basis of respect for traditional European humanistic and ethical values.

José Enrique Rodó was born in Montevideo on July 15, 1872. The son of a Catalan father who died when José was twelve, he was largely self-taught. He attended primary school but left secondary school for part-time employment. He read broadly in the library left by his father and in the library of the Ateneo of Montevideo. An intellectual center in the arts and humanities, the Ateneo also provided the atmosphere that nourished Rodó's growth. He was greatly influenced by the works of French, Spanish, and British essayists and paid much attention to works on the United States.

Rodó's youth was a period of...