Reading 19th century Portuguese poetry can be a bit of an enigma. I had never heard of Antero de Quental (1842-1891). He was part of the 70s Generation who rebelled for modernism; fell in with the anarchist group Cenáculo along with Eça de Queiros, Guerra Junqueira and Ramalho Ortigão; got involved with Conferências do Casino during the year of the Paris Commune (1872); and twice presented himself for the Portuguese Socialist party (Wikipedia). A busy person who in 1886 published his most respected book Sonetos Completos.
His poetry? This was the enigma.
The first poems are called: Os Cativos (The Captured), Os Vencidos (The Defeated), A Fada Negro (Dark fFate), and Entre Sombras (Between the Shadows). A bit on the dark side. There are two hymns showing his socialist interest: Hino do Manhã (Hymn to Tomorrow), Hino a Razão (Hymn to Reason). Sprinkled throughout the collection are poems dedicated to numerous people, some well-known in the literary and political realms. Other titles/themes vary: Lamento, Aspiração, Desesperança, Abnegação, Despondency, Estoicismo, Transcendentalismo, and Redenção. In short he certainly loves to tackle some very lofty ideals.
Of course, his form is the sonnet which always makes me think of either Shakespeare or love poems. So instead of lighter fare we have some serious words in Hymn to Tomorrow. Here are just two verses but it gives you the idea:
Símbolo da Mentira universal,
Da aparência das cousas fugitivas,
Que esconde, nas moventes perspectivas,
Sob o eterno sorriso o eterno Mal,
Símbolo da Ilusão, que do infinito
Fez surgir o Universo, já marcado
Para a dor, para o mal, para o pecado,
Símbolo da existência, sê maldito!
Symbol of the universal Lie,
From the appearance of fugitive things,
Which hides, in the moving perspectives,
Under the eternal smile, the eternal Evil,
Symbol of Illusion, that from infinity
Made the Universe arise, already marked
For pain, for evil, for sin,
Symbol of existence, be damned!
Definitely not flowery language.
I have to admit many of these poems were rather bleak. The mixture of religion, human struggle and reflections on his place in the universe made for a bumpy ride. Don’t get me wrong, there was some very powerful pieces in this collection including some very positive pieces. His poem to Eça de Queiros, Visão is remarkably visual.
Eu vi o Amor — mas nos seus olhos baços
Nada sorria já: só fixo e lento
Morava agora ali um pensamento
De dor sem trégua e de íntimos cansaços.
Pairava, como espectro, nos espaços,
Todo envolto num nimbo pardacento…
Na atitude convulsa do tormento,
Torcia e retorcia os magros braços…
E arrancava das aras destroçadas
A uma e uma as penas maculadas,
Soltando a espaços um soluço fundo,
Soluço de ódio e raiva impenitentes…
E do fantasma as lágrimas ardentes
Caíam lentamente sobre o mundo!
(Visão, 1874-80)
I saw Love - but in your damp eyes
Nothing to smile about: only fixed and slow
I lived there now a thought
Of pain without truce and intimate fatigue.
It hovered, like a spectre, in the spaces,
All wrapped in a brown nimbo...
In the convulsive attitude of torment,
Twisted and twisted, his thin arms...
And pulled out of the shattered wings
To one and one the stained feathers,
Releasing to spaces a deep cry
Weeping with unrepentant hatred and anger...
And from the ghost the burning tears
They fell slowly on the world!
Quental lived in a turbulent time. Change was part of his struggle. He did suffer from tuberculosis, depression and probably a bipolar condition. Sadly he shot himself at the age of 49.
Rating 3.5