Os Lusíadas

Luis de Camoes was Portugal's greatest Renaissance poet, whose profoundly humanistic works have influenced Portuguese literature since their appearance. In 1572 the epic poem Os Lusiadas (The Lusiads)-Camoes's masterpiece and lasting contribution to European literature-was published in Lisbon. By centering on the landmark 1497-1498 voyage of Vasco da Gama to India, Camoes exalted the Portuguese spirit expressed in history's glorious deeds. Modeled after Virgil's Aeneid and written in ottava rima, the Italian metric form used by Ariosto in Orlando Furioso, Os Lusiadas is the hallmark of Portuguese classics. Camoes's other poetry (Rimas) was published in 1595. In it Camoes shows himself to be, in addition to an epic poet, an intensely lyric poet as well.