Given the poet's standing as one of the great figures of Latin American literature, those conclusions are likely to resonate around the world.

BBC: Unravelling the mystery of Pablo Neruda's death

As formal education took hold, Latin language and literature studies introduced young people to a second, more worldly experience of reading one that, offered in the name of the time-honored tradition of the classical education, did not seem incompatible with their Bible studies.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Minders of Make-Believe'

The teenagers request young adult books from the Latin American classics to modern international literature such as Harry Potter and the Twilight saga and there is one very talented young artist who lends books on Leonardo DaVinci and drawing techniques.

UNESCO: Country Profile: Nicaragua

"Carlos' influence on literature goes far beyond borders of Latin America, and the impact of his intellect and activism will not be forgotten, " said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who presented Fuentes with a key to the city in 2006.

CNN: Mexican author Carlos Fuentes dies

But alas, for all the colour and comic-strip fun of modern Latin textbooks, there is no way to the literature that does not go via 14 the horrible wild places where ablatives and gerunds live.

ECONOMIST: So you thought that irksome language was dead?

Studying translations of Roman literature, Ms. Stephens says, she realized the Latin term "acus" was probably being misunderstood in the context of hairdressing.

WSJ: On Pins and Needles: Stylist Turns Ancient Hairdo Debate on Its Head

An epochal advance in literature was Dante's The Divine Comedy, wherein he single-handedly took a dialect of Latin and virtually created the modern Italian language.

FORBES: Fact and Comment