Guillaume Apollinaire
Author of the day

Guillaume Apollinaire

Guillaume Apollinaire was a highly influential French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic. He is considered one of the most important figures of early 20th-century European literature, particularly associated with the Symbolist movement and the development of Surrealism. Apollinaire is credited with coining the term 'Surrealism' and is renowned for his innovative use of language, experimental typography, and exploration of modern themes. His poetry often blends lyricis…

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
Paulo Silva Ribeiro

Paulo Silva Ribeiro is an author whose work manifests through engaging prose and a diverse thematic exploration. His writing is characterized by the ability to transition between different registers, addressing the complexities of human life and interpersonal relationships with depth and sensitivity. Through accessible yet meaningful language, Ribeiro constructs narratives that invite reflection and dialogue with the reader. His literary contribution marks the presence of a singular voice in the contemporary writing scene, with a journey marked by the constant search for new forms of expression and the exploration of stories that resonate with common experience. Paulo Silva Ribeiro's work is an invitation to discover fictional universes rich in detail and emotion.

Maysa

Maysa Monção Matarazzo, known artistically as Maysa, was a Brazilian singer and songwriter, a prominent figure of Jovem Guarda and popular Brazilian music. She stood out for her powerful voice and emotive interpretations of songs that addressed love, the pain of loss, and the complexities of relationships. Her career, although marked by tremendous success, was also marked by an intense and turbulent personal life. Maysa left a significant musical legacy, with songs that became classics of MPB and continue to move generations with their authenticity and interpretive strength.

António Gomes Leal

António Gomes Leal was a Portuguese poet, a prominent figure in 19th-century poetry. His work is marked by intense lyricism, often egocentric and melancholic in nature, exploring themes such as love, death, and existential pain. Gomes Leal is known for his careful language and his exploration of traditional poetic forms, having left a collection of poems that establish him as one of the important names of late Romanticism in Portugal.

Malangatana Valente Ngwenya

Malangatana Valente Ngwenya was a prominent Mozambican visual artist and poet, known for his vibrant and multifaceted work that explores cultural roots, Mozambique's history, and the struggles of its people. His paintings, sculptures, and poems are marked by strong expressiveness, intense colors, and stylized figures that evoke spirituality, ancestry, and social reality. Malangatana dedicated his life to art as a form of expression and intervention, becoming a cultural icon of Mozambique.

Henry Adams

Henry Adams was an American historian, journalist, professor, and novelist. Descended from a prominent American family, Adams dedicated himself to analyzing the history and culture of the United States, especially the period of its founding. His work is known for its critical insight and its exploration of the forces that shape society.

Pierre Corneille

Pierre Corneille (June 6, 1606 - October 1, 1684) was a French playwright, considered one of the founders of French classical theater.

Milo De Angelis

Milo De Angelis is a prominent contemporary Italian poet, known for his work that often moves between intense lyricism and profound philosophical reflection. His poetry is marked by precise language and an exploration of the great questions of existence, often with a tone of urgency and gravity. His work has been widely praised by critics for its originality and its ability to address the human condition in a direct and moving way, solidifying his position as one of the most important voices in contemporary Italian poetry.

Juan Bello

Juan Bello is a Chilean author whose literary work focuses on narratives that frequently address the social reality and cultural identity of Chile. His writing is characterized by a direct and engaged style, seeking to authentically portray the experiences of his characters and the contexts in which they are situated. He contributes to Latin American literature with a distinctive voice.

Lee Harwood

Lee Harwood was an English poet associated with the counterculture and experimental poetry. His work is known for its fragmented, often surrealist approach, and for exploring themes of perception, language, and everyday life. Harwood is remembered as an important figure in British poetry of the second half of the 20th century, with a distinctive style that challenged literary conventions.

Died on this day

7
Albano Dias Martins

Albano Dias Martins was a Portuguese poet whose work falls within a more traditional poetic context, with a focus on exploring themes such as nature, spirituality, and human feelings. His work is marked by careful language and a lyrical sensibility that sets him apart. Throughout his career, Martins left a poetic record that reflects a deep observation of the world and emotions, establishing himself as an authentic voice in Portuguese literature, though perhaps less prominent than some contemporaries. His style is characterized by expressive restraint and the pursuit of formal beauty, where the musicality of verse and the precise choice of vocabulary contribute to the strength of his compositions.

Jorge Barros Duarte

Jorge Barros Duarte was a Portuguese poet known for his work that deeply explores the human condition, the passage of time, and the individual's relationship with the cosmos. His poetry is characterized by a refined yet symbolism-laden language and an intrinsic musicality, reflecting a profound lyrical sensibility and a contemplative view of existence. With a body of work that transitions between the personal and the universal, Duarte addressed themes such as memory, the ephemerality of life, and the search for meaning in a constantly changing world. His writing demonstrates formal mastery, combined with a unique ability to evoke images and sensations, consolidating him as a singular voice in contemporary Portuguese poetry.

Emílio de Menezes

Emílio de Menezes was a Brazilian poet, journalist, and politician, primarily known for his participation in the Symbolist movement. His poetic work is marked by an atmosphere of mystery, musicality, and exploration of the unconscious and the irrational. Besides being a poet, he was an intellectual active on various fronts, contributing to the press and the political debate of his time.

Kenneth Rexroth

Kenneth Rexroth was an influential American poet, essayist, and critic, a prominent figure in 20th-century American poetry, associated with movements such as Modernism and the Beat Generation. His work is characterized by a wide range of interests, from Eastern poetry and philosophy to radical politics and ecology. Rexroth was known for his scholarship, his accessible yet profound language, and his advocacy for poetry that was simultaneously beautiful and socially relevant, exploring themes such as nature, love, spirituality, and social criticism.

D. João de Castro

D. João de Castro was a notable Portuguese humanist, military man, and administrator, known for his intelligence and culture. Although most famous for his military exploits and his governorship in Goa, he also demonstrated an interest in writing and literary production, reflecting the Renaissance spirit of his time. His figure is emblematic of the ideal of the Renaissance man, capable of reconciling action and reflection.

Luís Carvalho

Luís Carvalho is a Portuguese poet whose work has been distinguished by its originality and the depth with which he addresses themes such as existence, memory, and the relationship between human beings and time and space. With a style marked by introspection and precise, evocative language, Carvalho crafts poetry that invites reflection on the complexities of contemporary life, exploring the beauty and fragility of the everyday.

Gerhart Hauptmann

Gerhart Hauptmann was a German playwright and novelist, considered one of the most important representatives of naturalism in German theater. Born in 1862, his work explored social themes, poverty, and the struggles of the working class, often in rural settings in Silesia. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912 for his artistic output, which included dramas such as 'The Weavers' and 'Hannele's Ascension'. Hauptmann passed away in 1946.