Romanticism emerged in Portugal during a period of political effervescence – a few years after the revolution of 1820, which

brought the Portuguese liberals to power.

Various sectors of the Portuguese bourgeoisie participated in this revolution: magistrates, merchants, military personnel, professors.
Influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution, these liberals fought for the modernization of Portugal.
In Portugal, the struggle between liberals and conservatives lasted several years, causing during that period the exile of
politicians, intellectuals, and artists. When exiled, many of these artists ended up going to England and France where they had
contact with the romantic influences of each one. This factor contributed to the emergence of innovative works, among them
Camões de Almeida Garrett, who marked the beginning of Romanticism in Portugal.
Thus, Portuguese Romanticism was born marked by bourgeois liberalism and with the spirit of struggles and revolution that
involved Portuguese society in the 19th century.

First Romantic Generation

This generation is marked by the effort of its artists to implement Romanticism in Portugal. This is due to the use of certain
classic procedures, such as nationalism and historical and political concerns. Other features present but
that are not exclusive to this generation are: subjectivism, medievalism, idealization of woman, of love, of nature.

Almeida Garrett – in search of national roots

When Almeida Garrett was exiled, he was already relatively well-known in the country. He was in France, England, and the
Germany - countries where Romanticism had emerged - where it absorbed the influences that led it to embark on the new aesthetic.
His works show similarities to the classical tradition, such as formalism, scholarly vocabulary, rationalism, and restraint of
emotions (Arcadian traits). His work Camões, although marking the beginning of Portuguese Romanticism, presents these tendencies.
innovation for which it is responsible is more related to the topics addressed than to the renewal of language. Concerned
with the political, social, and cultural directions of his country, Garrett held public positions and worked to write works that
they rescued the spirit of nationality of the Lusitanian people. The Romanceiro is an example of its works that, like several others,
they present verses, prose and depict historical Portugal, satisfying the romantic nationalist taste.
Your Poetry
Starting from political-ideological poems committed to liberalism and from works even more marked by tradition
classical (Camões), the poet only achieved romantic maturity in the lyrical genre when he was about 50 years old.
He, after a new and deep passion, resumed lyrical poetry and then created his best poetic works. These are
marked by romantic characteristics such as emotion, feelings, perfect love, idealized love.
Your Prose
In his fictional prose, he wrote the novels Arco de Santana, which is historical, and Viagens na minha terra, which is contemporary.
This last one reconciles travel accounts with comments on a variety of topics, including political-philosophical reflections, and
a sentimental plot. At the same time, it draws a rich portrait of Portuguese social life during the time of Miguelism. She
also presents the procedure of digression - situations in which the narrator strays from the central theme of the text and inserts other topics
strange to him - gives the author the opportunity to address a variety of themes: philosophical, social, artistic, and religious.
Your theater
In the dramatic genre, he produced several plays, with Frei Luís de Sousa (1844) being considered the masterpiece of theater.
In it, he addresses a historically significant theme that is widely discussed in Portuguese cultural life: the disappearance and return of D.
Pedro, a nobleman, from the war in Alcácer – Quibir. The drama was inspired by a real event that took place in the late 16th century.
by Madalena and D. Manuel de Sousa Coutinho, who passed down in history under the name of Frei Luís. When D. João, husband of
Madalena disappears in battle in Africa, she marries D. Manuel. The years go by and one day a pilgrim appears, coming
from Jerusalem that claims to bring a message from D. João. According to him, D. João was alive and imprisoned. Before the
news, Madalena and D. Manuel despair and both shut themselves in a convent. They do not wait to find out what in
The truth happened, but the reader is revealed the identity of the pilgrim, who was none other than D. João.

Alexandre Herculano and the historical novel

Alexandre was a Portuguese writer who was interested in historical themes, especially those set in the Middle Ages.
media, a world of fantasies where heroic knights fight and seek to save maidens in distress. Although it has cultivated
also poetry, it was in fiction prose that he made his greatest contribution. In it the author made great use of his wide
knowledge of the history of Portugal, particularly concerning the Middle Ages, introducing the historical novel in the country. This
genre renewed Portuguese fiction prose. In these works, mixing with duly documented historical facts,
literary material is sometimes used by the author merely as an excuse to present their philosophical and social ideas,
religious and nationalist.

Eurico, the presbyter

This is the author's main novel and depicts the impossible love between Eurico and Emengarda amidst the Arab invasion.
Iberian Peninsula. Eurico became a priest after the hand of his beloved Emengarda was denied, due to her father's disapproval.
with the low social status of the suitor. When the Arab invasion occurs, Eurico goes to fight in the battles and ends up allying with
a resistance group, whose leader was Emengarda's brother. Amid the battles, the knight encounters his beloved, and in
In a dream, she reveals her love for him. However, the union between the two is impossible, as he is a priest. Later in a well
after a successful ambush against the invaders, Eurico allows himself to be killed by them, ending his romantic suffering.

The Second Romantic Generation

This represents the maturity of the romantic movement, while also predicting its overcoming, having in
view the realistic characteristics that their works present. Some of the representatives of this era exhibit behavior
strongly marked by pessimism, by existential negativity, by the morbid and by the feeling of excess.

Camilo Castelo Branco: the master of the passionate novel

He was one of the most prolific writers of Portuguese literature. He took advantage of many of his experiences to
to write novels, including his love with Ana Plácido, a married woman who he later married after the death of her husband.
He lived from his books, and was the most read writer of the time. He committed suicide due to financial difficulties and family problems.
The Work
His narratives typically took place in locations that were part of his life. Types populate these environments.
peasants, ranging from nobles and priests to women of all social classes. The main theme of their plots is love,
usually the one opposed by social conventions or love leading to abductions and risks, to hatred between families.
As a narrator, he was extraordinary, varying between lyricism and sarcasm. His language is characterized by
rich vocabulary and the great use of resources. Conciseness and strength characterize his style. The quality of his works is irregular.
once the author, surviving from his works, managed to produce 200 of them.
In his vast production stand out: the serialized novel Mysteries of Lisbon, in which the narratives are of mystery or terror;
passionate novel, a genre in which the author reaches maturity in Love of Loss, which addresses tragic love; the novel
satirical of customs, in which the exploration of humor allows for the ironic and satirical characterization generally of the rich bourgeois;
it is the historical novel.

A Passionate Novella
This genre was the one in which the author stood out the most, as well as being its definer and its greatest representative in Portugal.
This genre was born during the Late Middle Ages, in the form of Chivalric Novels. In short, the novel is a narrative more
short story that features fewer characters and a single central action. In the author's novels, the protagonist is usually a
young person with a disordered life who lets himself be corrupted by urban social life. He gets involved with a girl, and from there two
endings can happen: he leaves her or wants to marry her and redeem himself, but the girl's father does not accept it because of the
his social situation. The love triangle is another trait used by Camilo, and it usually involves the presence of two
women of different types. This opposition was almost always made with the purpose of satirizing the false happy married life.
Love of Perdition
In this work, Camilo incorporated many of his experiences in prison and his forbidden love. This is the story of love.
impossible between Simão and Teresa, young people from noble and enemy families, who try to keep the lovers apart. Teresa
she should marry Balthazar, but she refuses him and ends up in a convent. Angry Simão kills Balthazar and is later exiled.
Sick, he spots the convent where Tereza is, but ends up dying during the journey. Mariana, a girl who had met him in the...
in the past and that he loved her very much, throws herself into the sea and uses him. Teresa, who was very ill, also ends up dying.

Júlio Dinis: the last romantic breath

He is the literary pseudonym of Joaquim G. G. Coelho. A bourgeois dedicated part of his time to reading works by the main authors.
English romantics, from whom he was influenced. Except for An English Family, all of his other novels have as
environment or the countryside and as characters small landowners and farmers. As a backdrop, it shows the transformations
policies and economic issues the country faced under the liberal regime.
He is the last significant prose writer of Portuguese Romanticism, and his works still display several romantic characteristics.
such as the victory of love over social differences, the predominance of feelings over reason, the idealization of life
natural, and the use of a simple and direct language. However, it already exhibited traits of Realism, such as the concern for
accurately describe the nature and social behaviors, objectivity in establishing social types, characterization
psychological aspects of characters, the moralizing tone that aims to entertain and instruct at the same time. For these aspects, it
among others represent the moment of transition to Realism.

The pupils of the rector are his most well-known work. It tells the story of Pedro, Daniel, Clara, and Margarida. They lived in
field, but Daniel was sent by his father at the priest's advice to the city to be able to study. He returns for the wedding.
his brother's Clara, but ends up becoming emotionally involved with the bride. In a typical happy ending, Pedro marries
Clara and Daniel with Margarida. In this, there is the idea that true love is capable of resolving all confusions.