I read The Book of Disquiet when I was in Lisbon, and like an absolute cliche read a few sections in 'his' seat in the cafe he used to go to in Baixo Chaido, where they've got a statue of him outside.
He reminds me of Kafka - both clerks who had rich internal worlds, who had alternate identities that didn't conform to the office settings where they work.
Which, you know, seems like a lot of us, these days.
I wonder many times, 'who I am essentially', when 'everything that is me'-my thoughts, my emotional intelligence, my intellect, my culture- is influenced by the civilizational values. So what am I when I'm stripped of the civilization is nothing but a man on the path towards attaining the civilization. So 'man' is synonymous to a 'civilized man'.
This writing hit me at the right time. There’s much to unpack here and it seem very suitable to this time in history, or in my history. I’ve not read Pessoa’s writing before, but intend to add it to my list.
I loved; “...a light mist of emotion rises within me;...” and “...my vision, no longer my own, is nothing now: it is merely that of a human animal who unwittingly inherited Greek culture, Roman order, Christian morality and all the other illusions that make up the civilization in which I live and feel.”
Pessoa understood that what you just said is what most people had to do to keep their minds off the inevitable. But he was more profound. He lived in the mundane with a spirit of a fiery sage. His art, in my opinion, is unrivaled. He knew more about the human animal than most. As he once said:
“I never tried to be anything other than a dreamer. I never paid any attention to people who told me to go out and live. I belonged always to whatever was far from me and always seemed to be full of poetry. I only ever desired what was beyond my imaginings.”
I just finished reading Pessoa by Richard Zenith and have gained another level of appreciation and awe to Fernando Pessoa. This text is the evidence of why that happened! Thanks for sharing.
By day I am nothing, by night I am myself.
That line hits you right in the gut for some reason
I read The Book of Disquiet when I was in Lisbon, and like an absolute cliche read a few sections in 'his' seat in the cafe he used to go to in Baixo Chaido, where they've got a statue of him outside.
He reminds me of Kafka - both clerks who had rich internal worlds, who had alternate identities that didn't conform to the office settings where they work.
Which, you know, seems like a lot of us, these days.
wonder if that is the same lovely cafe I recall in Lisbon, by the water, with a nice set of photos of Pessoa and framed poem excerpts?
This one: https://www.abrasileira.pt/
abrigado:)
My favourite book and author. ❤️
You can read it and reread it, or read a random page, and you will always be amazed by it.
I wonder many times, 'who I am essentially', when 'everything that is me'-my thoughts, my emotional intelligence, my intellect, my culture- is influenced by the civilizational values. So what am I when I'm stripped of the civilization is nothing but a man on the path towards attaining the civilization. So 'man' is synonymous to a 'civilized man'.
This writing hit me at the right time. There’s much to unpack here and it seem very suitable to this time in history, or in my history. I’ve not read Pessoa’s writing before, but intend to add it to my list.
I loved; “...a light mist of emotion rises within me;...” and “...my vision, no longer my own, is nothing now: it is merely that of a human animal who unwittingly inherited Greek culture, Roman order, Christian morality and all the other illusions that make up the civilization in which I live and feel.”
Excellent selection! Thank you!
Articulation about the insignificance of being. A starting place.
Go jump in the sea or a lake
Go for a hike . Cultivate a passion to share . Be helpful
Enjoy the little things,
they add up;
The way sparrows hop about picking up
your croissant crumbs
The patterns milk foam from your latte leave on the glass
That you werent incinerated in Lahaina
Pessoa understood that what you just said is what most people had to do to keep their minds off the inevitable. But he was more profound. He lived in the mundane with a spirit of a fiery sage. His art, in my opinion, is unrivaled. He knew more about the human animal than most. As he once said:
“I never tried to be anything other than a dreamer. I never paid any attention to people who told me to go out and live. I belonged always to whatever was far from me and always seemed to be full of poetry. I only ever desired what was beyond my imaginings.”
This is one of my books that’s currently on my ‘’must read soon” list. I have seen a few offerings from it and it seems an incredibly thoughtful book.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/fernando-pessoa
An extraordinary soul.
What a fascinating, prolific and talented writer
This is powerful 🙏🏾
Everyone, when you think of it.
He’s in a tier of his own. So great.
There is a beautiful essence in nothingness, an essence the unites us all..it's shapeless..nameless..wild and it's free...
I just finished reading Pessoa by Richard Zenith and have gained another level of appreciation and awe to Fernando Pessoa. This text is the evidence of why that happened! Thanks for sharing.
I love this. I'm currently reading Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse and this reminds me of it, but I can't exactly say how.
Where there is life on this planet remember to breathe. luv always Dave P