born Nov. 12, 1651, San Miguel Nepantla, Viceroyalty of New Spain
died April 17, 1695, Mexico City
Mexican poet, dramatist, scholar, nun, and an early feminist.
Born out of wedlock to a family of modest means, she was sent to relatives in Mexico City, where her great intelligence became known to the viceroy. She soon became a nun, remaining cloistered for the rest of her life. Sor Juana had one of the largest private libraries in the New World. Her most important works are the poem "Primero sueño" (1692; "Sor Juana's Dream"), which recounts the soul's quest for knowledge, and the "Respuesta" (1691; "The Answer"), her defense of women's right to knowledge.