Camilo Pessanha
Camilo Pessanha was a Portuguese poet born in 1867 in Coimbra, Portugal. He graduated with a law degree from the University of Coimbra in 1891 but later relocated to Macao, a Portuguese colony, in 1894. In Macao, he pursued a career in education and administration, teaching philosophy at a secondary school and eventually serving as the administrator of the real estate office and as a judge. Pessanha led a reclusive and solitary life, which may have stemmed from his struggles with mental health issues. Despite his quiet existence, he gained recognition for his poetry, publishing a single collection titled "Clepsidra" in 1920, which was well-received during his lifetime. He was known for sharing his poetry with friends and possessing a remarkable ability to recall his work from memory. Pessanha's literary contributions appeared in various anthologies and magazines, and he continued to write until his death in 1926 in Macao. His passing is believed to have been linked to his opium use, which he may have employed to manage his nervous condition.
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Subject Terms
Camilo Pessanha
Poet
- Born: September 7, 1867
- Birthplace: Coimbra, Portugal
- Died: 1926
- Place of death: Macao
Biography
Camilo Pessanha was born in 1867 in Coimbra, Portugal. He received a law degree from the University of Coimbra in 1891. Three years later, he moved to Macao, then a Portuguese colony, where he taught philosophy at a secondary school. In 1900 he was appointed the administrator of Macao’s s real estate office and he later served as a judge in the colony. Pessanha was known for living a rather quiet and solitary life in Macao, and his eccentric and lonely lifestyle could have been the result of the problems he suffered with his nerves. During his lifetime, Pessanha returned to Portugal on many occasions searching for a cure, but he was ultimately unable to relieve his illness.
Pessanha published only one collection of his poetry, Clepsidra (1920), and his poetry was popular in his day. He was known to give copies of his poems to friends and had the ability to easily reproduce his past work from memory. His work also appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. Pessanha continued to write poetry until his death in Macao in 1926. His death is believed to be related to his use of opium, which he may have taken as a remedy for his troubled nerves.