Gregório de Matos

author

Gregório de Matos

b. 1636

A sharp-tongued 17th-century Brazilian poet, he became famous for verse that could be devotional one moment and fiercely satirical the next. His biting attacks on society earned him the nickname "Boca do Inferno"—the Mouth of Hell.

1 Audiobook

Obras poeticas de Gregorio de Mattos Guerra - Tomo I : precedidas de vida do poeta pelo licenceado Manuel Pereira Rebello

Obras poeticas de Gregorio de Mattos Guerra - Tomo I : precedidas de vida do poeta pelo licenceado Manuel Pereira Rebello

by Gregório de Matos

About the author

Born in Salvador, Bahia, in 1636, Gregório de Matos is widely remembered as one of the great voices of the Brazilian Baroque. He studied in Portugal and later returned to colonial Brazil, where his poems circulated in manuscript and built his reputation for wit, verbal energy, and fearless mockery.

His work ranges from religious and lyrical poetry to savage satire aimed at officials, clergy, and the social elite. That mix of spiritual intensity and sharp criticism helped make him one of the most distinctive writers associated with early Brazilian literature.

Gregório de Matos died in 1696. Much of his writing was preserved and published only long after his lifetime, but his reputation endured, especially because of the force and audacity of his satirical voice.