Abstract
The article examines the Renaissance genre of the "defence of poetry" in the context of Hispano-American essays. The primary defences of poetry took the form of a prologue, starting with "Poem of the Niagara" (1882) and other essays by José Martí.
The Modernist concept of the importance of poetry serves as the basis for Octavio Paz, who develops Martí's ideas in works such as his Bow and the Lyre and Children of the Mire.