Voltaire
Author of the day

Voltaire

Voltaire was a prolific French writer, historian, and philosopher, a central figure of the Enlightenment. Known for his sharp intellect, sense of humor, and advocacy for freedom of speech, he vehemently criticized religious intolerance and the tyranny of the aristocracy and clergy of his time. His vast work spans poetry, essays, plays, correspondence, and philosophical texts, exerting a profound influence on Western thought.

Poem of the day

Grass

Carl Sandburg
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and let me work
-I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and the passengers ask the conductor:

What place is this?
Where are we now?

I am the grass.
Let me work.
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Born on this day

11
Ana Cristina Cesar

Ana Cristina Cesar was a Brazilian poet, essayist, and translator whose work stands out for its lyrical intensity, exploration of subjectivity, and the intersection between life and writing. Her poetry, marked by a unique voice and a language that blends the colloquial and the erudite, addresses themes such as love, identity, memory, the city, and the female condition. Her short but prolific career left a significant legacy in contemporary Brazilian literature.

Virgínia Schall

Virgínia Schall was a Brazilian writer, translator, and professor, notable for her contribution to children's and young adult literature, as well as for her essayistic work. Her writing for children and young people was characterized by sensitivity, inventiveness, and the ability to address complex themes in an accessible and playful way. As a translator, she brought significant works by foreign authors to the Brazilian public. Her academic career as a university professor also marked her trajectory, influencing generations of students and literary researchers.

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was a significant English novelist and poet, associated with the Naturalism literary movement. Though initially trained as an architect, his literary career spanned over four decades, producing novels like "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" and "Far from the Madding Crowd" that critically examined rural life, social constraints, and the harsh realities of fate. Later in life, he turned increasingly to poetry, which explored similar themes of loss, disillusionment, and the passage of time with a distinctive blend of modernism and traditional form.

Between Us Now
Max Aub

Max Aub was a prolific Spanish writer, playwright, essayist, and art critic of French origin. Born in Paris in 1903, he went into exile in Mexico after the Spanish Civil War, where he developed much of his career. His work covers a wide range of genres and themes, with a marked interest in memory, identity, and the human condition.

Karl Adolph Gjellerup

Karl Adolph Gjellerup was a Danish writer, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His work, deeply influenced by Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, explores the search for spiritual truth and the connection between the individual and the cosmos. Gjellerup is recognized for his erudite prose and his reflections on the human condition, evolution, and the nature of reality. His literary journey began with naturalism, but evolved into a spirituality that led him to abandon Western conventions in search of a deeper understanding of the universe. His later work, written in German, reflects this transcendence and his admiration for Asian culture.

Ademir Assunção

Ademir Assunção is a Brazilian poet, playwright, and editor, known for his engaged poetry with a strong social component. His work frequently addresses themes such as oppression, resistance, and the human condition in contexts of inequality. With a direct and forceful language, Assunção is part of the tradition of social and protest poetry, using words as a tool for intervention and reflection on reality.

Jacob Polley

Jacob Polley is a British poet whose poems explore everyday life with a keen eye for detail and underlying emotions. His work is characterized by clear and accessible language, yet imbued with depth and reflection. He also works as an editor and literary critic.

Ataliva Herrera

Ataliva Herrera is a prominent figure in literature, with a work distinguished by its depth and the rigor with which it approaches universal themes. His writing is marked by precise language and a critical view of society and the human condition. He is dedicated to exploring the complexities of existence, moral dilemmas, and interpersonal relationships. His literary legacy is built on a foundation of deep reflection, translated into dense and meaningful narratives. Herrera is an author who invites meditation on life, art, and the individual's role in the world, leaving an indelible mark on the literary field.

Antonio Plaza Llamas

Antonio Plaza Llamas was a Mexican poet and politician, known for his work that reflects the spirit of the Mexican Revolution and the search for national identity. His poetry, often social and patriotic in nature, was characterized by direct and passionate language, with an emphasis on themes such as the homeland, justice, and the people's struggle. He was a relevant figure in the cultural and political life of his time, and his work contributed to forging a poetic identity linked to revolutionary ideals and Mexican nationalism.

Vicente Gerbasi

Vicente Gerbasi was a Venezuelan poet and diplomat, a key figure in 20th-century Venezuelan poetry. His work is characterized by a profound reflection on Venezuelan identity, history, nature, and time. He explored themes such as the social reality of his country, the search for roots, and the human condition, employing a powerful and often epic language. He was also a prominent essayist and cultural promoter, leaving a significant legacy in his country's literature.

Died on this day

8
Alonso Álvares Lopes

Alonso Álvares Lopes was a prominent poet in Portuguese literature. His work, although often associated with deep lyricism and reflection on the human condition, was also characterized by a rich and imagistic language. He explored universal themes such as love, the passage of time, and the ephemerality of life, with a style that combined tradition with innovation. His poetry is recognized for its musicality and its ability to evoke intense feelings, consolidating his place as an important name in Portuguese-language poetry.

Bernardo de Passos

Bernardo de Passos is a poet whose writing is characterized by lyrical depth and reflection on the passage of time and the ephemerality of existence. His poetry, often imbued with a subtle melancholy, explores human emotions and the individual's relationship with the world around them, inviting contemplation and introspection.

Francisco Moniz Barreto

Francisco Moniz Barreto was a poet whose works often explore the complexities of the human soul and the ephemeral beauty of existence. His poetry is characterized by deep introspection, addressing themes such as love, saudade (longing), and the passage of time with a language rich in imagery and musicality. His style, while rooted in literary traditions, reveals a modern sensibility and a keen eye for the nuances of individual experience. Moniz Barreto left a poetic legacy that continues to resonate through his ability to touch upon universal emotions, inviting the reader to reflect on life and art.

Glória de Sant'Anna

Glória de Sant'Anna was a Brazilian poet whose work is distinguished by its lyrical depth and exploration of existential, spiritual, and human nature themes. Her poetry is marked by rich language and a keen sensitivity to the nuances of feeling and being, addressing love, loneliness, transcendence, and the search for meaning. Her writing reflects an intense inner journey, where reflection on the human condition intertwines with a deep connection to the universe, resulting in poems that touch the reader with their sincerity and beauty.

Hermilo Borba Filho

Hermilo Borba Filho was a multifaceted Brazilian artist, known for his work as a writer, playwright, director, actor, and professor. His literary work, especially poetry and theater, is marked by a strong connection to the popular culture of the Northeast, the playful universe, and social criticism. Borba Filho explored themes such as childhood, death, religiosity, and life's contradictions, using a rich and inventive language that reflects his deep immersion in the popular imagination of the Brazilian Northeast.

Raul Bopp

Raul Bopp was a Brazilian poet, a central figure of Brazilian Modernism, especially known for his work "Cobra Norato," a landmark in avant-garde poetry. His poetry is characterized by linguistic experimentation, the fusion of the erudite with the popular, and the exploration of Amazonian themes. Bopp was one of the exponents of the second modernist generation, contributing an innovative and profoundly Brazilian vision to national literature.

Madeleine de Scudéry

Madeleine de Scudéry was a 17th-century French writer, known for her novels and literary salons. She became a prominent figure in the Parisian literary scene, despite the social restrictions imposed on women of her time. Scudéry was admired for her intelligence and erudition, and her salons attracted many of the most important intellectuals and artists of her day.

Marie-Jeanne Durry

Marie-Jeanne Durry was a prominent French literary critic and professor, specializing in the work of 20th-century poets. Her career was dedicated to the in-depth study of modern poetry, with a particular interest in authors such as Paul Valéry. She contributed significantly to academia and literary criticism, bringing an analytical and scholarly perspective to the interpretation of poetic texts.