22 de February

Sunday

11 Born on this day 8 Died on this day
Voltaire
Author of the day

Voltaire

Voltaire was a prolific French writer, historian, and philosopher, a central figure of the Enlightenment. Known for his sharp intellect, sense of humor, and advocacy for freedom of speech, he vehemently criticized religious intolerance and the tyranny of the aristocracy and clergy of his time. His vast work spans poetry, essays, plays, correspondence, and philosophical texts, exerting a profound influence on Western thought.

Poem of the day

Grass

Carl Sandburg
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and let me work
-I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and the passengers ask the conductor:

What place is this?
Where are we now?

I am the grass.
Let me work.
Read full poem

Born on this day

11
Joaquim Pessoa

Joaquim Pessoa

78 years since birth · 1948

Joaquim Pessoa was a Portuguese poet and essayist, a prominent figure in contemporary literature. His work is distinguished by its intelligence, irony, and a profound reflection on…

Débora Novaes de Castro

Débora Novaes de Castro

47 years since birth · 1979

Débora Novaes de Castro is a poetic voice that emerges with strength in contemporary literature, exploring the depths of the human soul and the complexities of the modern world. He…

Giuseppe Ghiaroni

Giuseppe Ghiaroni

107 years since birth · 1919

Giuseppe Ghiaroni was an Italian poet and essayist, known for his work that explores the human condition, nature, and the search for meaning. His poetic compositions are marked by …

James Russell Lowell

James Russell Lowell

207 years since birth · 1819

James Russell Lowell was an American poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is remembered for his satirical and patriotic poetry, as well as for his significant contributions to li…

Meridel Le Sueur

Meridel Le Sueur

126 years since birth · 1900

Meridel Le Sueur was an American writer whose works addressed the struggles of the working class and women, especially during the Great Depression. Through powerful and often lyric…

Antero Alberto Ervedosa de Abreu

Antero Alberto Ervedosa de Abreu

99 years since birth · 1927

Antero Alberto Ervedosa de Abreu, better known as Antero de Abreu, was a Portuguese poet and professor. His poetic work, although less extensive, is notable for its lyrical depth a…

Gerald Stern

Gerald Stern

101 years since birth · 1925

Gerald Stern was an American poet whose poems are known for their exuberant energy, ironic humor, and ability to move between the personal and the universal. His work frequently ce…

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Edna St. Vincent Millay

134 years since birth · 1892

Edna St. Vincent Millay was a prominent American poet and playwright, celebrated for her lyrical verse and her passionate, often rebellious, spirit. A leading voice of the "Lost Ge…

Danilo Kiš

Danilo Kiš

91 years since birth · 1935

Arthur Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer

238 years since birth · 1788

Jules Renard

Jules Renard

162 years since birth · 1864

Died on this day

8
Manuel Laranjeira

Manuel Laranjeira

114 years since death · 1912

Manuel Laranjeira was a Portuguese physician and writer, a prominent figure of the Portuguese Renaissance. He stood out as one of the first poets to use Portuguese in works of a sc…

Antonio Machado

Antonio Machado

87 years since death · 1939

Antônio Machado was a Spanish poet, a prominent figure of the Generation of '27, although his work is often associated with the Generation of '98 due to its deep reflection on Span…

Dutra e Melo

Dutra e Melo

180 years since death · 1846

Melo, also known as Dutra and Melo, was a Brazilian poet whose work is part of Symbolism, a period marked by subjectivity, musicality, and the exploration of mystery. His poetry i…

Paul Léautaud

Paul Léautaud

70 years since death · 1956

Paul Léautaud was a French writer, literary critic, and journalist, known for his direct, ironic style and his detailed memoirs of Parisian literary life. His most famous work, "Le…

Salvador Espriu i Castelló

Salvador Espriu i Castelló

41 years since death · 1985

Salvador Espriu i Castelló was a Spanish poet, playwright, and novelist. He is considered one of the main representatives of 20th-century Catalan poetry. His work is marked by a de…

Leo Connellan

Leo Connellan

25 years since death · 2001

Leo Connellan was an American poet known for his poetry that portrays the life and landscape of New England, especially the state of Maine. His works frequently celebrate nature, m…

César Brañas
50

César Brañas

50 years since death · 1976

César Brañas was a Costa Rican poet whose work is characterized by a deep connection with the nature and land of his country, as well as by an intimate and reflective lyricism. His…

Salvador Espriu

Salvador Espriu

41 years since death · 1985

Salvador Espriu was a Spanish poet, playwright, and novelist, a central figure in post-war Catalan literature. His work, deeply rooted in the identity and history of Catalonia, is …