Castro Alves
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Antônio Frederico de Castro Alves (14 March 1847 – 6 July 1871) was a Brazilian poet and playwright, famous for his
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...
and republican poems. One of the most famous poets of the " Condorism", he won the
epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
of "O Poeta dos Escravos" ("''The Poet of the Slaves''"). He is the patron of the 7th chair of the
Brazilian Academy of Letters The Academia Brasileira de Letras (ABL) ( English: ''Brazilian Academy of Letters'') is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on Tue ...
.


Life

Castro Alves was born in the town of Curralinho (renamed "Castro Alves" in his honor in 1900), in the
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian state of
Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest ...
, to Antônio José Alves, a doctor, and Clélia Brasília da Silva Castro, one of the daughters of José Antônio da Silva Castro (a.k.a. "Periquitão",
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Port ...
for "Big
Parakeet A parakeet is any one of many small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Etymology and naming The name ''parakeet'' is derived from the French wor''perroquet'' which is reflected in ...
"), a prominent fighter in the 1821–23 Siege of Salvador. In 1853, he was sent to study in the Colégio Sebrão, run by
Abílio César Borges Abilio may refer to: * Abilio James Acosta (born 1971), American journalist * Abílio Brandão (fl. 1948), Portuguese sports shooter * Abílio Cabral (born 1960), Angolan boxer * Abílio Cossa (1922–2003), Mozambican journalist and writer * Abíl ...
, the Baron of Macaúbas. There, he met and befriended
Ruy Barbosa Ruy Barbosa de Oliveira (5 November 1849 – 1 March 1923), also known as Rui Barbosa, was a Brazilian polymath, diplomat, writer, jurist, and politician. Born in Salvador, Bahia, and a distinguished and staunch defender of civil liberties and ...
. In 1862, he moved to
Recife That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15) , image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg , mapsize = 250px , map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco , pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
to study at the
Faculdade de Direito do Recife The Recife Law School, now called Law School, Federal University of Pernambuco (formerly in Portuguese ''Faculdade de Direito do Recife'' and now ''Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco''), is a law school in the city of R ...
, but he was rejected twice. He was not able to join the college until 1864, there meeting Tobias Barreto and
José Bonifácio the Younger José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva (November 8, 1827 – October 26, 1886) was a French-born Brazilian poet, teacher and senator. He is known as "the Younger" ( pt, O Moço) to distinguish him from his grand-uncle, José Bonifácio de Andrada e ...
(step-grandson of the statesman José Bonifácio). They heavily influenced Alves' writing style, and he, in turn, influenced them both. His father died in 1866 and shortly after, he met the Portuguese actress Eugênia Câmara, and started dating her. In 1867, Alves returned to Bahia with Câmara and wrote his drama ''Gonzaga, ou A Revolução de Minas'', based on the life of the
Luso-Brazilian Portuguese Brazilians ( pt, luso-brasileiros) are Brazilians whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Portugal. Most of the Portuguese who arrived throughout the centuries in Brazil sought economic opportunities. Although present since t ...
Neoclassic poet Tomás António Gonzaga and his participation in the failed 1789 Minas Conspiracy. In the following year, he and Câmara went to
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
, where he entered the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo and once more met Ruy Barbosa. There he also befriended Pedro Luís Pereira de Sousa and wrote a poem named "Deusa incruenta", based on Sousa's work "Terribilis Dea". His play ''Gonzaga'' was performed at the end of 1868. It was well received by critics and public alike, but Alves was sad because his romantic engagement with Eugênia Câmara had terminated. During a hunting trip in the same year, Alves received an accidental shotgun wound in his left foot, which had to be amputated due to the risk of
gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the gan ...
. However, a
prosthesis In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
was made for him, and thus he was able to walk again (although with the use of an assistive cane). He spent 1870 in his home-state of
Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest ...
, trying to recover from the
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...
he got while in
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
. Also in 1870, Alves published the poetry book ''
Espumas Flutuantes ''Espumas Flutuantes'' (''Floating Foam'') is an 1870 book of poems by Brazilian Romantic poet Castro Alves. It was the only work Alves published in his lifetime, because of his premature death from tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is a ...
'' – the only work he published during his lifetime. All his other works were published posthumously. Alves' attempts to mitigate the tuberculosis were in vain; he died on 6 July 1871, in the city of
Salvador Salvador, meaning " salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ...
, at 24.


Works

* ''
Espumas Flutuantes ''Espumas Flutuantes'' (''Floating Foam'') is an 1870 book of poems by Brazilian Romantic poet Castro Alves. It was the only work Alves published in his lifetime, because of his premature death from tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is a ...
'' (1870) * ''Gonzaga, ou A Revolução de Minas'' (1875) * ''A Cachoeira de Paulo Afonso'' (1876) * ''Vozes d'África'' (1880) * '' O Navio Negreiro'' (1880) * ''Os Escravos'' (1883) Alves also translated into
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Port ...
many poems by
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
, and
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
's "
Darkness Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low ...
" and "Lines Inscribed Upon a Cup Formed from a Skull". They can be found on ''Espumas Flutuantes''.


Legacy

* The Castro Alves Masonic Lodge was founded in 1952 in São Paulo. * The Castro Alves Theater in Salvador was opened in 1967. The theater was designed by José Bina Fonyat Filho and Humberto Lemos Lopes, and is located in the city's Campo Grande district. * A
B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish pe ...
lodge was named after the poet. The Castro Alves lodge was founded in 1961 and located in São Salvador, Bahia.B'nai B'rith (1963). ''Manual de la B'nai B'rith'' (p. 36). Santiago, Chile.


Representations in popular culture

Alves was portrayed by Paulo Maurício in the 1949 film '' Vendaval Maravilhoso'', loosely based on
Jorge Amado Jorge Leal Amado de Faria (10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in ...
's 1941 book '' The ABC of Castro Alves'', and by Bruno Garcia in
Silvio Tendler Silvio Tendler (born 1950) is a Brazilian filmmaker. With more than 40 films released by 2014, including feature and short films, Tendler is one of the most respected Brazilian documentarist. Due to his focus on people like Juscelino Kubitschek, ...
's 1999 documentary '' Castro Alves: Retrato Falado do Poeta''.


References


External links


Castro Alves' biography at the official site of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Castro Alves, Antônio Frederico de 1847 births 1871 deaths 19th-century Brazilian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Brazilian poets 19th-century Brazilian male writers 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Brazilian abolitionists Brazilian amputees Brazilian male dramatists and playwrights Brazilian people of Portuguese descent Brazilian male poets Patrons of the Brazilian Academy of Letters People from Salvador, Bahia Romantic poets Tuberculosis deaths in Bahia University of São Paulo alumni