Orpheu Nº2 Revista Trimestral de Literatura

Violante Cisneiros

1891–1971

A striking literary persona from Portuguese modernism, this name belonged not to a separate writer but to a fictional author created by Armando Côrtes-Rodrigues. The poems and prose published under it became part of the adventurous, self-inventing spirit around the landmark magazine Orpheu.

Eduardo Guimarães

1892–1928

A leading voice of Brazilian Symbolist poetry, he wrote with musical language, melancholy, and a quiet intensity that still feels fresh. He was also a journalist and translator, building a literary career that crossed Brazil and Portugal.

Raul de Oliveira Sousa Leal

1886–1964

A provocative voice in Portuguese modernism, this Lisbon-born writer moved between poetry, philosophy, and occult speculation. He is best remembered for his association with the Orpheu generation and for work that stirred real controversy in his own time.

A restless, visionary voice from early modernist Portugal, he is remembered for poems that feel strange, musical, and startlingly ahead of their time. His life was difficult and often marked by illness, but his work found a lasting place in the story of Portuguese literature.

Luís de Montalvor

1891–1947

A key early voice in Portuguese modernism, this poet and editor helped launch the influential magazine Orpheu and left behind a small but memorable body of symbolist-leaning verse. Born in Cape Verde and active in Lisbon, he remains a fascinating, somewhat overlooked figure in 20th-century Portuguese literature.

Fernando Pessoa

1888–1935

A master of modern poetry, he turned questions of identity, solitude, and imagination into some of the most original writing of the 20th century. His work ranges from intimate lyric poems to bold experiments written under distinct literary alter egos.

Mário de Sá-Carneiro

1890–1916

A brilliant, restless voice of early Portuguese modernism, his poems and fiction turn identity, desire, and self-invention into something intense and unforgettable. Though he died at just twenty-five, his work still feels daring, strange, and startlingly modern.