Rafael del Valle

Rafael del Valle Rodríguez (1847 - 1917) was a Puerto Rican-Spanish poet.

Born in Aguadilla, he studied medicine in the University of Barcelona. He was disciple of Luis Pasteur in his institute. He exerted his profession of Galen in Aguada, Aguadilla, Arecibo, and San Juan, at the same that he cultivated Literature.

Due to his political ideas, he was exiled to Venezuela in 1881, returning in 1898 with the change in sovereignty in Puerto Rico. He was a leader of the party of Luis Muñoz Rivera and member of the Executive Council of Puerto Rico.

His lyric work was compiled posthumously in the book "Poesías Completas" (Complete Poetries) in 1921. He was essentially a romantic poet with incursions in religious, political, progressive, and educative fields.