27 de February

Friday

11 Born on this day 7 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

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night, 
Old age should burn and rave at close of day; 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

Though wise men at their end know dark is right, 
Because their words had forked no lightning they 
Do not go gentle into that good night. 

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright 
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, 
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, 
Do not go gentle into that good night. 

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight 
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

And you, my father, there on that sad height, 
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. 
Do not go gentle into that good night. 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Read full poem

Born on this day

11
Ruy Belo

Ruy Belo

93 years since birth · 1933

Ruy Belo was one of the most important Portuguese poets of the 20th century. His work is marked by a profound reflection on existence, faith, solitude, and time, with a language th…

Daniel Cruz Filho

Daniel Cruz Filho

51 years since birth · 1975

Daniel Cruz Filho is a contemporary Brazilian poet whose work is distinguished by its exploration of human emotions in the face of life's adversities. His poetry, often introspecti…

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

219 years since birth · 1807

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator, celebrated for his lyrical verse and narrative poems. His work often drew inspiration from mythology, history, and Ame…

Lawrence Durrell

Lawrence Durrell

114 years since birth · 1912

Lawrence George Durrell (1912-1990) was a British novelist, poet, playwright, and diplomat. Born in British India, he spent much of his adult life in the Mediterranean, and his wor…

Kenneth Koch

Kenneth Koch

101 years since birth · 1925

Kenneth Koch was an American poet celebrated for his experimental, humorous, and playful poetry. His work frequently challenged literary conventions, incorporating elements of surr…

Félix José da Costa

Félix José da Costa

207 years since birth · 1819

Félix José da Costa was a Portuguese poet known for his lyrical work and his participation in literary gatherings. His poetry reflects a careful style and a refined sensibility for…

D. João de Castro

D. João de Castro

526 years since birth · 1500

D. João de Castro was a notable Portuguese humanist, military man, and administrator, known for his intelligence and culture. Although most famous for his military exploits and his…

Baptista Bastos

Baptista Bastos

93 years since birth · 1933

José Baptista Bastos was a Portuguese poet, known for his lyrical and reflective work, which explores the human condition, the passage of time, and the search for meaning in existe…

N. Scott Momaday

N. Scott Momaday

92 years since birth · 1934

Roland Flint

Roland Flint

92 years since birth · 1934

Roland Flint was an American poet whose poems often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition with direct and emotional language. His work is marked by a deep sensitiv…

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck

124 years since birth · 1902

Died on this day

7