Bilac, Olavo (1865–1918)

Olavo Bilac (b. 16 December 1865; d. 18 December 1918), Brazilian poet. Declared in 1907 "the prince of Brazilian poets," Bilac was one of the greatest figures in Parnassianism. This movement in poetry, like naturalism in the novel, displayed the same antiromantic revolt that dominated the literary scene at the end of the nineteenth century. Bilac was born in Rio de Janeiro. His first book of poems, Poesias (1888), was warmly received, and the author was lauded by the leaders of Parnassianism. In the first poem of the collection, "Profissão de fé" (Profession of Faith), the author insists on the Parnassian ideal of language perfection. He viewed the poet's task as similar to that of a goldsmith fashioning delicate jewels: "When I write, I envy the goldsmith / I imitate the love / With which he, in golden relief / Creates his flowers." He expressed his love for the Portuguese language in "Língua Portuguesa": "I love your agrestic lushness and your aroma / Of virgin forests and large oceans! / I love your rude and dolorous idiom." He conserved this spirit throughout his life.

Bilac worked with a great variety of themes—personal and historical—the latter ranging from classical Rome to Brazilian history. His lyrical production diverges from exaggerated sentimentalism to sensualism. In "Ouvir estrelas" he converses with the stars, explaining, "Love and you will understand them. / Only one in love is / Able to listen to and understand the stars." His love poems, the best of his work, are still very much alive. Part of the contemporaneous force of Bilac's lyrics lies in the plasticity of the universe created by his verse: forms, colors, textures, sounds, and movements breathe life into his imagined world.

Bilac had illustrious careers in government and literature. He was a founding member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, and he was above all a revered poet whose verse resounds in the voice and heart of his people. Additional works by Bilac include Poesias (2d ed., 1902), Conferências literá-rias (1906), Ironia e piedade (1916), and Últimas conferências e discursos (1924).

See alsoLiterature: Brazil .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eloi Pontes, A vida exuberante de Olavo Bilac (1944).

Manuel Bandeira, in Apresentação da poesia brasileira (1946), pp. 108-118.

Eugênio Gomes, in Visões e Revisões (1958), pp. 126-133, 134-141, 215-295.

Fernando Jorge, Vida e poesia de Olavo Bilac (1963).

Claude L. Hulet, "Olavo Bilac," in Brazilian Literature, vol. 2 (1974), pp. 78-94.

Marisa Lajolo, Os melhores poemas de Olavo Bilac (1985).

Additional Bibliography

Botelho, André. Aprendizado do Brasil: A nação em busca dos seus portadores sociais. Campinas: Editora da Unicamp, FAPESP, 2002.

                                  Maria Isabel Abreu