Carles Riba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carles Riba
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Carles Riba
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| Born |
Carles Riba i Bracons
23 September 1893 Barcelona, Spain
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| Died | 12 July 1959 (aged 65) Barcelona, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | writer |
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Notable work
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Bierville Elegies |
Carles Riba i Bracons (born September 23, 1893 – died July 12, 1959) was an important writer, poet, and translator from Catalonia, a region in Spain. He is famous for his beautiful poems and for translating many classic books into the Catalan language.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carles Riba was born in Barcelona, a big city in Spain. He went to the University of Barcelona where he studied Law and Philosophy. These studies helped him understand different ways of thinking and writing.
In 1916, he married another poet named Clementina Arderiu. They shared a love for literature. For a while, Carles Riba also worked at a school that taught people how to become librarians.
Learning More About Classics
To learn even more, Carles Riba traveled to Munich, Germany, in 1922. There, he studied with a famous scholar named Karl Vossler. This trip helped him learn more about old languages and cultures.
He also visited Italy and Greece in the 1920s. These countries are known for their ancient history and literature. These travels helped him become an expert in classical studies.
Around this time, he worked with Pompeu Fabra. Fabra was creating a very important dictionary for the Catalan language. Riba helped him with this big project.
Career and Teaching
Later, Carles Riba worked at the Bernat Metge Foundation. This foundation focuses on classical studies, which means studying ancient Greek and Roman times. He became a specialist in this area.
In 1934, he started teaching Greek at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He shared his knowledge of ancient languages with many students.
Life During the Spanish Civil War
Life became difficult for Carles Riba during the Spanish Civil War. Because he supported ideas like self-governance for Catalonia and a republic (a type of government where people elect their leaders), he had to leave Spain.
In 1939, after the war ended and a new government took power, he moved to Montpellier, France. Many people who supported the previous government had to leave the country.
Return to Barcelona
In 1943, Carles Riba was able to return to Barcelona. He continued his important work at the Bernat Metge Foundation. He translated many books from ancient authors into Catalan. Eventually, he became the director of the foundation.
His Works
Carles Riba wrote many books of poetry. Some of his famous collections include:
- Estances (published in 1919 and 1930)
- Bierville Elegies (Les Elegies de Bierville) (1943)
- Salvatge Cor (1952)
- Del joc i del foc (1947)
- Esbós per a tres oratoris (1957)
He was also a very talented translator. He translated works by famous writers like Constantine Cavafy, Friedrich Hölderlin, Edgar Allan Poe, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Franz Kafka.
Riba also translated many ancient Greek and Roman classics into Catalan. These include:
- Homer's Odyssey (a famous story about a long journey)
- Plutarch's Parallel Lives (stories about famous Greek and Roman figures)
- Plays by Sophocles and Euripides (two well-known ancient Greek playwrights)
His work has been translated into English by Joan Gili and Pearse Hutchinson. A famous American critic, Harold Bloom, even included Riba's poetry in his list of important Western literature.
See also
In Spanish: Carles Riba para niños
