The Lusiad; Or, The Discovery of India, an Epic Poem

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Camões, Luís de, 1524?-1580

Contributor:

Mickle, William Julius, 1735-1788

Standardized Title:

Os Lusíadas. English

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Lusiad; Or, The Discovery of India" by Luís de Camões is an epic poem written in the late 16th century. This work chronicles the heroic exploits of Portuguese explorers, particularly Vasco da Gama, as they journey to India, symbolizing the age of discovery and maritime exploration. The poem intertwines themes of adventure, national pride, and the glories of the Portuguese empire, showcasing both human and divine elements essential to the epic genre. The opening portion of this epic introduces readers to the life of Luís de Camões, detailing his noble lineage, early hardships, and profound passion for both love and poetry. Camões's misfortunes begin with his father's shipwreck, and his life becomes a series of challenges, including exile from the royal court due to love affairs, military service against the Moors, and subsequent adventures in Africa and India. It emphasizes his heroic contributions to battles while nurturing his poetic talents, ultimately framing "The Lusiad" as a product of both his personal experiences and the broader historical context of Portuguese exploration. This section sets the stage for the epic narrative that follows, blending biography with the nationalistic fervor of a pioneering era. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.)

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_Lus%C3%ADadas

Reading ease score: 62.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2010-05-26