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Fernando Pessoa Quotes

Biography

Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) was a Portuguese poet, writer, and literary critic, most celebrated for his heteronyms, which are distinct authorial identities he created, each with unique biographies, writing styles, and perspectives. His major work, "Mensagem" (1934), is a collection of poems that intricately weave Portuguese history and myth. more Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935) was a Portuguese poet, writer, and literary critic, most celebrated for his heteronyms, which are distinct authorial identities he created, each with unique biographies, writing styles, and perspectives. His major work, "Mensagem" (1934), is a collection of poems that intricately weave Portuguese history and myth. Pessoa's heteronym Ricardo Reis, an ode to classical sensibilities, and Álvaro de Campos, characterized by a more modernist approach, stand out among his creations. Born in Lisbon, Pessoa spent much of his early life in Durban, South Africa, before returning to Portugal in 1905. He published numerous works in literary magazines, significantly shaping 20th-century Portuguese literature. less

Popular Quotes

"There is no norm that, when violated, does not become the norm of another."
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"Life is shipwreck with a golden rescue."
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"Time! The present! In these, I am almost inclined to believe. I am a skeptical mystic."
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"The wise man makes his own heaven while the foolish one inherits his own hell"
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"The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats"
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"The life one lives is at least interesting"
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"There are ships sailing to many ports, but not a single one goes where life is not painful"
Tags: Life, Existence, Reality, Journey, Pain
"Without madness, there is no humanity."
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"We love evermore everything that isn’t, and are always pining for what could never be. "
Tags: Dreams, Desire, Longing, Fantasy, Yearning
"The entire universe is through and for me; the rest is hypothesis. "
Tags: Philosophy, Existentialism, Existence, Universe, Individualism
"My soul is a hidden orchestra; I know not what instruments, what fiddles, drums, cymbals, or harps I sound and clash inside myself. All I hear is the symphony. "
Tags: Self-discovery, Identity, Emotions, Music, Soul
"Love letters are laughable; leave them unwritten. "
Tags: Love, Relationships, Humor, Communication, Romance
"I see things from a distance, never the meaning. "
Tags: Philosophy, Perspective, Perception, Understanding, Introspection
"I am, in large measure, the selfsame prose I write. "
Tags: Creativity, Identity, Literature, Self-reflection, Self-expression
"Everything is inertia to sadness, not to happiness. "
Tags: Philosophy, Happiness, Psychology, Emotions, Human condition
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