The history of the Puerto Rican literature dates back to the 17th century when Puerto Ricans started telling stories and poems using the oral tradition of Coplas and Decimas.
The first book published was "Ocios de la Juventud" by Juan Rodríguez Calderón in 1806. In 1849, Manuel Alonso Pacheco, published "El Gibaro" a prose and poetry book. Lola Rodríguez de Tío (1843-1924), José Gautier Benitez (1851-1880) and José Gualberto Padilla (1829-96) wrote poetry .Salvador Brau (1842-1912), Eugenio María de Hostos (1839-1903), and Alejandro Tapía y Rivera (1826-1882) were recognized in Latin America as Puerto Rican authors.
Manuel Zeno Gandía's "La Charca" was published in 1894. The novel presented a grim look at the colonial situation of Puerto Rico. José de Diego (1867-1918) wrote many works about the Puerto Rican nationality and it's unique culture and personality. Poets Virgilio Davila, Luis Llorens Torres and Luis Palés Matos also were inspired by their caribbean land. Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1896-1974) work is published in "Antologia Poetica". Novelist Antonio S. Pedreira (1899-1939) wrote "Insularismo" were it describes the cultural survival of the Puerto Rican identity after the american invasion. Classic novels like "La Llamarada" and "Los Amos Benevolos" were written by Enrique A. Laguerre (born 1906- ). The most read and published book came from Puerto Rican author René Marqués, he wrote the masterpiece "La Carreta "(The Oxcart).
