Álvares de Azevedo
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Manuel Antônio Álvares de Azevedo (September 12, 1831 - April 25, 1852) - Writer of Brazilian's romantic second generation, Author of short stories, dramas, poetry and essays Brazilian, son of Inácio Manuel Álvares de Azevedo and Maria Luísa Mota Azevedo.
He was born in São Paulo, SP, but spent his childhood in Rio de Janeiro, where he initiated his studies. Then he returned to São Paulo (1847) to study on Faculdade de Direito do Largo de São Francisco, which was actually part of the University of São Paulo, where early on he became famous for his brilliant and precocious literary productions. He was distinguished by his readiness of learning languages and for his young and sentimental spirit.
During his law university course, he translated the fifth act of Othello by Shakespeare and translated Parisina by Lord Byron. In 1849, he went on to establish the magazine of the Sociedade Ensaio Filosófico Paulistano and he integrated the Sociedade Epicuréia. He once started an epic poem O Conde Lopo, which remains only in fragments.
He did not conclude his studies because of a pulmonar tuberculosis. Alvares died in Rio de Janeiro, with much of his work incomplete at 21. His death is attributed to a stomachal inflammation. His works are: Poesias diversas (Many poetrys), Poema do Frade (Priest poetry), the drama Macário, the romance O Livro de Fra Gondicário (Fra Gondicário Book), Noite na Taverna (Night at the tavern), Cartas (Letters), many Assays (Literature and civilization in Portugal, Lucano, George Sand, Jacques Rolla), and his main work Lira dos vinte anos (at first planned to be published on a project - As Três Liras (The Three Liras) - together with Aureliano Lessa and Bernardo Guimarães). He is patron of the number 3 chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.
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[edit] Academic Criticism
Actually the author has instigated some academic studies, among which can be highlighted "O Belo e o Disforme", by Cilaine Alves Cunha (Ed. USP, 2000), and "Entusiasmo indianista e ironia byroniana" (Doctor Thesis, USP, 2000); "O poeta leitor. Um estudo das epígrafes ugoanas em Álvares de Azevedo", by Maria C. R. Alves (Master Dissertation, USP, 1999).
Azevedo's main influences are: Lord Byron, Chateaubriand, but mainly Alfred de Musset.
A characteristic aspect of his works, which has stimulated much discussion, speaks of his poetics, that himself defined as "binomy"(´´binomia´´)and consists of approximating extremes, on a typically romantic attitude. It is important to mention the preface for the second part of Lira dos Vinte Anos, pointed out by many of his critics and in which he defines all his poetics. He was the first to incorporate daily life in Brazilian poetry, with the poem "Idéias íntimas" (Intimate Ideas) in the second part of Lira. Included in the national anthologies of Brazil, his works were very famous until the two first decades of the 20th century, with constants reeditations of his poetry and anthology. The last encenations of his drama "Macário" took place in 1994 and 2001.
[edit] Cronology
- 1831 September 12 - Was born in São Paulo, on the corner of Senador Feijó with Quintino Bocaiúva.
- 1831 - Goes to Rio de Janeiro
- 1835 - Dies on June 26 his youngest brother, Inácio Manuel, in Niterói, leaving the poet deeply depressed.
- 1840 - He is matriculated on the Stoll High School, in Botafogo. His performance relieves compliments from the owner of the school, Dr. Stoll: "He has, what's very rare, the biggest innocence of costumes to the greater intellectual capacity that I have ever find in America on a boy on his age".
- 1844 - He is transferred to São Paulo, after studying French, English and latim he cames back to Rio in the end of the year.
- 1845 - He is matriculated on the fifth year of the boarding school of the Imperial Colégio Pedro II, in Rio, where he suffered a lot because of his idler way that leaded him to caricature colleague e teachers.
- 1846 - He does the sixth year on the same school, having as teacher Domingos José Gonçalves de Magalhães.
- 1847 - Receives, on December 5, the grade of Bachelor in Letters.
- 1848 - Ingressing, on March first at Academia de Direito de São Paulo, where he meets, among others, José de Alencar e Bernardo Guimarães.
- 1849 - Matriculates on the second year. Pronunciates a speech on August 11, at the commemorative session of the birthday of the criation of the juridic courses in Brazil. Spend his vacation in Rio, with constants thoughts about death.
- 1850 - Writes "a romance of 200 and some pages, two poems, one of 5 and other of 2 cants, assays, fragment of a poem in a very old language" (lost today). On 5/09, preferes the inaugural speech of the Ensaio Filosófico society. Back in S. Paulo, matriculates on the third year . On semptember, suicidates, for love, the fifth-year Feliciano Coelho Duarte, the poet says, at 12 of the same month, a goodbye speech.
- 1851 - Attends the fouth year. On semptember 15, dies João Batista da Silva Pereira. Spend his vacations in Itaboraí, on his grandfather farm. Foresee his death and says that will not come back to S. Paulo.
- 1852 April 25 - After complications happened after falling from a horse, he dies, at 17h in Rio de Janeiro. he is buried on the next day. Today, he is embedded on São João Batista cemetery, grave 12A.
[edit] Works
- 1853 Poesias de Manuel António Álvares de Azevedo, Lira dos Vinte Anos (only book prepared for publication by the author) and Poesias diversas;
- 1855 Obras de Manuel António Álvares de Azevedo, first publication of his prose;
- 1862 Obras de Manuel António Álvares de Azevedo, second and third editions, first aparition of the Poema do Frade and the third part of the Lira.
- 1866 O Conde Lopo, unknown poem.
[edit] Reference Works
- BUENO, A. (Org.). Obra Completa de Álvares de Azevedo. Nova Aguilar, 2000.
- CAVALHEIRO, E. Álvares de Azevedo. Melhoramentos, 1943 (Biography)
- RAMOS, P.E.S.(Org.). Poesias Completas de Álvares de Azevedo. Ed. Unicamp, 2002.
