(born June 13, 1888, Lisbon, Port.—died Nov. 30, 1935, Lisbon) Portuguese poet.
While living in South Africa, where his stepfather was Portugal's consul, Pessoa became fluent in English. On returning to Lisbon he worked as a translator while contributing to avant-garde reviews, especially Orpheu (1915), the organ of Brazilian-Portuguese Modernismo, of which he became a leading aesthetician. Only after his death did the rich dream world of his poetry, peopled with fictional alter egos called “heteronyms,” become well known. His important works include Poetry of Fernando Pessoa (1942), Poetry of Álvaro de Campos (1944), Poems of Alberto Caeiro (1946), Odes of Ricardo Reis (1946), and The Book of Disquiet (1982).
This is the complete article, containing 110 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
View More Summaries on Fernando Pessoa
