Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa facts for kids
Tomás de Iriarte (born September 18, 1750, in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife; died September 17, 1791, in Madrid) was a famous Spanish poet. He was known for his writing style called neoclassicism, which focused on clear ideas and classical forms.
Early Life and Education
Tomás de Iriarte came from a family of writers. His father was Don Bernardo de Iriarte, and his mother was Doña Bárbara de las Nieves Hernández de Oropesa. His brother was Bernardo de Iriarte.
When Tomás was 14, he moved to Madrid in 1764. There, his uncle, Juan de Iriarte, took care of his education. His uncle was a librarian for the king of Spain.
Literary Career
Tomás began his writing career at age 18. He started by translating French plays for the royal theater. In 1770, he wrote his own play called Hacer que hacemos. He used a secret name, or anagram, for this play: Tirso Imarete.
The next year, he became an official translator for the foreign office. In 1776, he started working in the war department.
Famous Works
In 1780, Tomás de Iriarte wrote a long poem called La Música. This poem was about music and became popular in Spain and Italy.
His most famous work is Fábulas literarias (Literary Fables), published in 1782. These fables are short stories that teach a lesson. They were written in many different poetry styles. He often used humor to talk about other writers and their methods.
Later Years and Challenges
Later in his life, Tomás de Iriarte faced some disagreements with other writers. This was partly because of his fables. In 1786, he was questioned by the Spanish inquisition because he seemed to agree with some French thinkers.
Tomás de Iriarte died in Madrid on September 17, 1791. He was only 41 years old.
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