author
José Agostinho de Macedo
1761–1831
A fierce, witty voice in Portuguese letters, this poet-priest was famous for sharp satire, literary quarrels, and a style that rarely pulled its punches. His life was as stormy as his writing, which helped make him one of the most controversial literary figures of his time.
3 Audiobooks
Sermão contra o Filosofismo do Seculo XIX
by José Agostinho de Macedo
Epistola de Manoel Mendes Fogaça Dirigida de lisboa a hum amigo da sua terra, em que lhe refere como de repente se fez poeta, e lhe conta as proezas de hum rafeiro.
by José Agostinho de Macedo
Newton: Poema
by José Agostinho de Macedo
About the author
Born in Beja in 1761, José Agostinho de Macedo became a Portuguese poet and prose writer known for his biting criticism and combative public voice. He studied Latin and rhetoric in Lisbon and entered the Augustinian order while still young.
His career was marked by talent as well as turbulence. Contemporary reference works describe him as outspoken and difficult, noting that he spent periods in prison and was moved repeatedly between religious houses before eventually leaving monastic life. He later worked as a secular priest and built a reputation as a pamphleteer and critic whose writing could be brilliant, caustic, and deeply divisive.
Macedo is remembered for didactic poetry, prose, and political and literary polemics that made him a striking presence in early 19th-century Portugal. He died in 1831, leaving behind a body of work that still stands out for its force, aggression, and unmistakable personality.