Introduction
Teófilo Odorico Dias de Mesquita (November 8, 1854 – March 29, 1889) was a Brazilian poet, journalist and lawyer, nephew of Gonçalves Dias.
He is the patron of the 36th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.
Life
Teófilo Dias was born in 1854, to Odorico Antônio de Mesquita and Joana Angélica Dias de Mesquita (who was the sister of poet Gonçalves Dias). His initial schooling happened in São Luís, at the Instituto de Humanidades.
Moving to Rio de Janeiro, he is lodged in a convent for two years (1875–1876) and prepares to ingress at a Law course. In Rio, he met many influential people, such as Alberto de Oliveira, Artur de Oliveira, Aluísio Azevedo, Benjamin Constant Botelho de Magalhães, José do Patrocínio and Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis.
In 1881, he finishes the Law course at the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo. As a journalist, he collaborated for journals A Província de São Paulo, A República and José Veríssimo's Revista Brasileira.
He was also a teacher of Philosophic Grammar and French in Colégio Aquino.
He married Gabriela Frederica Ribeiro de Andrada, a daughter of Martim Francisco Ribeiro de Andrada, the brother of famous statesman José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva. He had with her two children.
He became a deputy in 1885, exercing the post until the following year.
He died in 1889.
Works
- Flores e Amores (1874)
- Cantos Tropicais (1878)
- Lira dos Verdes Anos (1878)
- Fanfarras (1882)
- A Comédia dos Deuses (1888)