Mistral, Gabriela, mees TRAHL, gah bree EH lah (1889-1957), was the pen name of Lucila Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet and educator. In 1945, she became the first Latin-American writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Her spare, plain style with its often Biblical flavor gave Spanish-American poetry a fresh direction. She was a student of folk verse, particularly children's rhymes and lullabies, and drew on these forms in developing her poetry. Her best-known books of poetry include Desolation (1922), Tenderness (1924), Felling of Trees (1934), and Wine Press (1954).