Verdaguer, Jacinto

Verdaguer, Jacinto zhäsēnˈtō vārdəgārˈ [key], 1845–1902, Catalan poet, considered the national poet of Catalonia and the most beloved poet of the Catalan Renaissance of the 19th cent. Religious troubles and poor health frequently darkened his life. Known as a saintly priest, he wrote works of religious fervor including Idilis y Cants mistichs (1879). He depicted the Catalan countryside in his long Canigó (1886). In his masterpiece, the great epic La Atlántida (1877), he dealt with prehistoric myths of the Iberian peninsula; it was the basis for an opera-oratorio by Manuel de Falla.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese Literature: Biographies