António Ferreira (poet) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
António Ferreira
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| Born | 1528 |
| Died | 29 November 1569 (aged 40–41) |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation | Poet |
António Ferreira (born 1528 – died 29 November 1569) was an important Portuguese poet. He was a leader of the classical style of writing, which was started by Francisco de Sá de Miranda. His most famous work is a play called Castro. It was the very first tragedy play written in the Portuguese language, and only the second in all of modern Europe!
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About António Ferreira's Life
Ferreira was born in Lisbon, Portugal. His father worked for the Duke of Coimbra. In 1547, António went to the University of Coimbra to study. He earned his bachelor's degree there.
He became a doctor on 14 July 1555. This was a big event, celebrated with a special ceremony. He stayed at the university as a professor. He loved Coimbra because its beautiful surroundings suited his love for poetry and country life.
Ferreira was friends with important people, including princes, nobles, and famous writers. Some of his friends were the scholar Diogo de Teive and poets like Bernardes. In 1558, when he was 29, he married D. Maria Pimentel. They had a happy but short marriage, as his wife sadly passed away.
On 14 October 1567, he got a new job as a judge. This meant he had to leave the quiet life in Coimbra and move to Lisbon. He wrote in his poems about how much he disliked this change. The busy city, which was a big trading center, made him sad. It even made it hard for him to write poetry. The tricky ways of the people in the city upset him. He felt alone because his friends were spread out. Lisbon was a huge city then, thanks to Portugal's discoveries and conquests around the world.
In 1569, a terrible sickness spread through Lisbon. It was a fever that killed many people. Ferreira stayed in the city, doing his duty, even when others left. Sadly, he also caught the sickness and died on 29 November 1569.
António Ferreira's Writings
Ferreira wrote a comedy play called Bristo in 1553, when he was 25. He gave this play to Prince John. It's a funny play because of its story and situations. He also wrote another comedy called Cioso later.
When Prince John died in 1554, Ferreira wrote sad poems, just like other poets such as Camões. These included an elegy (a sad poem) and two eclogues (poems about country life). In 1557, he wrote a powerful poem about patriotism, showing his love for his country.
His Sonnets
Ferreira's first book of sonnets (a type of poem with 14 lines) was written around 1552. These poems tell the story of his early love for a lady whose name we don't know. He wrote them while in Coimbra or during visits to Lisbon.
The sonnets in his second book were inspired by his wife. These poems show pure feelings, seriousness, and strong love for his country. The ninth sonnet in this book is very moving. It describes his wife's death. After her death, Ferreira's poems became even more serious. He even wrote to King Sebastian, reminding him of his duties as a ruler.
The Play Castro
Castro is Ferreira's most important work. It was the first tragedy play written in Portuguese. It was also only the second tragedy play written in modern European literature. Even though it was based on old Greek and Roman plays, it doesn't have much action. The characters, except for the prince, are not very well developed.
However, it is a beautiful poem. It has a chorus that sings about the sad story of Inês in lovely, emotional songs. The play shows Inês's love as a gentle feeling, like a wife and a loyal subject. Pedro, however, is shown as history describes him: a prince deeply in love. Inês's death turns him into a cruel ruler. King Afonso is not a very strong character in the play. He only meets Inês once, and his son never does. It's also strange that Pedro and Inês are never on stage together; their love story is only told by others.
Even with these points, Ferreira deserves praise for choosing such a dramatic part of Portuguese history for his play. Many famous poets have written about Inês de Castro since then, but none have been able to do better than Ferreira.
Other Writings
Ferreira also wrote a short epic poem called Historia de S.ta Comba dos Valles. This poem is based on an old religious story from the time when Moors lived in Portugal.
António Ferreira's Ideas
As a poet, Ferreira wanted to be praised by good people. In the introduction to his poems, he wrote, "I am happy with this glory, that I have loved my land and my people." He was close friends with Sá de Miranda, who started the classical style of writing. Ferreira became the most important writer in this style.
He loved the poet Horace. His writing was very learned. He admired classical writers so much that he didn't like the popular poetry of the Old School (Escola Velha).
Ferreira felt strongly about his country. He refused to write in Latin or Spanish, unlike many writers of his time. But he made his Portuguese writing sound as much like Latin as possible. He even called his poems Poemas Lusitanos (Portuguese Poems). Sá de Miranda had already started new ways of writing, like using the epistle (a letter written as a poem) and creating learned comedies.
Ferreira finished this change in poetry. He stopped using the old Portuguese verse forms. Instead, he used the Italian hendecasyllable (a line of verse with eleven syllables). He wrote noble and serious Roman-style poems, letters, odes, and elegies. He did all this on purpose because he wanted to reform poetry. He didn't like the simple, unrefined popular poetry. Its lack of culture and messy style bothered him. He wasn't interested in its colorful or clever ways.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Ferreira para niños
