Jean-Paul Sartre
Author of the day

Jean-Paul Sartre

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, writer, playwright, and literary critic, a central figure of atheistic existentialism. His vast and multifaceted work explores human freedom, individual responsibility, bad faith, and social commitment. Sartre rejected the Nobel Prize in Literature, advocating for a stance of refusal of bourgeois institutions. His thought profoundly influenced 20th-century philosophy, literature, and political debate, marking a generation with his emphasis on autonomy a…

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

10
Giuseppe Ungaretti

Giuseppe Ungaretti was an Italian poet, considered one of the most important representatives of Hermeticism and a central figure in 20th-century Italian poetry. His work is marked by the search for the essential word, lyrical intensity, and reflection on the fragility of human existence, especially in times of war. His poetry, concise and profound, explores themes such as solitude, death, memory, and the quest for redemption. With a purified language and fragmented rhythm, Ungaretti innovated poetic form, using short verses and free verse to express the intensity of his emotions and the universality of the human condition. His experience in World War I had a profound impact on his writing, giving it a tone of urgency and a search for a greater meaning in life.

Marcelo Almeida de Oliveira

Marcelo Almeida de Oliveira is a Brazilian poet whose work is distinguished by its lyrical sensitivity and exploration of universal themes such as love, the ephemerality of time, and the search for meaning. His poetry is characterized by careful language and deep reflection on the human condition. Through verses that combine tradition with contemporaneity, Marcelo Almeida de Oliveira has been consolidating his space in Lusophone poetry, offering the reader an introspective look at life and its complexities.

Francisco Mangabeira

Francisco Mangabeira was a Brazilian politician and jurist, known for his role in the national political scene, especially during the Second Republic and the Estado Novo. His career was marked by the defense of democratic ideals and the pursuit of social and economic development for Brazil. As a jurist, he contributed to legal debate and lawmaking. His trajectory reflects the complexities and political challenges faced by the country in the mid-20th century, demonstrating a commitment to justice and constitutional order.

Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop was an American poet renowned for her meticulously crafted, observant, and subtly emotional verse. Her work is characterized by its precise imagery, quiet tone, and profound empathy for the subjects she described, often focusing on landscapes, travel, and the details of everyday life. Despite a relatively small output of published work during her lifetime, she gained significant critical acclaim and is now considered one of the most important American poets of the 20th century. Her poetry is marked by its formal control and deep engagement with the physical world.

A Miracle for Breakfast
Júlio Verne

Jules Verne was a prominent French writer, born in Nantes in 1828, widely regarded as one of the fathers of science fiction. He is celebrated for his adventure novels that frequently explored the potential of technology and scientific exploration, such as 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' and 'Around the World in Eighty Days'. Verne was known for his vivid imagination and for predicting many inventions and concepts that would later become a reality. His works continue to inspire readers and scientists worldwide, capturing the spirit of discovery and curiosity about the unknown.

Mário Martins de Almeida

Mário Martins de Almeida is a Portuguese poet whose work is distinguished by its lyrical depth and exploration of universal themes such as love, saudade, and the passage of time. With a carefully crafted style, his poetry evokes inner and outer landscapes, weaving a tapestry of feelings and reflections that resonate with the human experience. His writing is an invitation to introspection, marked by formal beauty and emotionality.

Román Raña Lama

Román Raña Lama is a Galician professor, writer, and literary critic. His work encompasses both literary creation and academic analysis of literature, with a special focus on Galician literature. As a writer, he explores different genres, while his work as a critic and researcher contributes to the study and appreciation of Galicia's literary heritage.

Luis Gonzaga Urbina

Luis Gonzaga Urbina was a prominent Mexican poet, essayist, and literary critic, a key figure of Modernism in Mexico. His work is characterized by formal elegance, the musicality of verse, and a deep sensitivity towards beauty, love, and melancholy. Urbina is remembered for his contribution to the development of Mexican Modernism, providing a refined lyrical voice and an exceptional command of poetic language. His influence extended through his writings and his teaching, leaving an indelible mark on his country's literature.

Died on this day

11
José Gomes Ferreira

José Gomes Ferreira was a Portuguese poet, novelist, and journalist, known for his social and political intervention poetry, strongly marked by anti-fascism and criticism of injustice. His work is characterized by a vigorous, ironic, and sometimes colloquial language, which seeks to bring poetry closer to the reality of the people and social struggles. A central figure of Portuguese Modernism, especially the second generation, Gomes Ferreira was also a prolific chronicler and an intellectual committed to the ideals of freedom and progress. His poetry, which covers themes such as war, exploitation, hope, and resistance, consolidated him as one of the most combative and popular voices in 20th-century Portuguese literature.

Salomão Jorge

Salomão Jorge was an Angolan poet, known for his work that explores the complexities of identity, land, and the human condition. His poetry is marked by a rich and imagistic language, evoking deep landscapes and feelings. With a style that transitions between the lyrical and the reflective, Jorge addressed universal themes with a particular sensitivity to African realities. His contribution to Angolan literature is notable, solidifying his place as an important voice in contemporary poetry.

Mário Pederneiras

Mário Pederneiras was a Portuguese poet, writer, and journalist, known for his work related to poetry and his activity in various publications. His writing explored universal themes of the human condition, with careful language and a particular sensitivity to melancholy and reflection on time and existence. Throughout his career, Pederneiras contributed to the Portuguese literary landscape through a poetic work that is distinguished by its introspection and its ability to capture the essence of human emotions in evocative verses. His work in journalism also gave him a perspective on the social and cultural reality of his time.

Augusto Frederico Schmidt

Augusto Frederico Schmidt was a Brazilian poet, essayist, and professor, known for his poetry with a philosophical and existential tone. His work reflects a deep meditation on the human condition, time, memory, and the search for meaning. With an elaborate language and an introspective tone, Schmidt explored universal themes through a personal and reflective perspective. His poetry stands out for its intellectual density and its ability to evoke poetic images that resonate with the complexity of the inner life.

Soares de Passos

Soares de Passos was a Portuguese poet of the 19th century, a prominent figure of Ultra-Romanticism in Portugal. His work is marked by a deep pessimism, existential discontent, and an attraction to death and the melancholic, characteristics that made him one of the most distinctive representatives of his generation. His poetry, although sometimes considered excessively somber, reveals an intense sensibility and a lyrical skill that place him as a notable poet in Portuguese literature.

Baldassare Castiglione

Baldassare Castiglione was an Italian humanist, poet, writer, and diplomat of the Renaissance. He is best known for his work "The Book of the Courtier", a manual on the ideal behavior and education of a courtier, which had a great influence on European culture.

Giosuè Carducci

Giosuè Carducci was an Italian poet and literary critic, a Nobel laureate in Literature, known for his lyrical poetry and his influence on the revival of Italian poetry. His work celebrated Italian history and culture, with a style that combined classicism and modernity.

Bronisława Wajs

Bronisława Wajs, better known by her stage name Papusza, was a Polish Romani singer and poet. Her work, marked by a deep connection to the culture and tradition of her people, addresses themes such as nature, love, pain, and Romani identity. Despite facing difficulties and misunderstanding, her poetic voice became an important testament to the Romani experience, influencing later generations of artists and writers.

Halldór Laxness

Halldór Laxness was one of the most prominent Icelandic writers, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955. His vast and diverse work encompasses novels, short stories, plays, poems, and essays, exploring Icelandic identity, the struggle for survival in a hostile environment, and social criticism with a rich and innovative language. He is recognized for his ability to blend realism with elements of Icelandic folklore and sagas. With a unique literary style, Laxness addressed themes such as poverty, social injustice, religion, and the search for existential meaning, leaving a literary legacy that continues to influence world literature and represent the soul and history of Iceland.

João Vicente Pimentel Maldonado

João Vicente Pimentel Maldonado was a Portuguese poet whose work is part of a literary context of transition and experimentation. His poetry is marked by deep introspection and the exploration of existential themes, reflecting the concerns of his time. Although his output is not extensive, he left a unique mark on the Portuguese poetic landscape.

Tom Raworth

Tom Raworth was an English poet associated with experimental and avant-garde poetry. His work is characterized by an innovative approach to language and poetic structure, challenging traditional conventions.