Editing Fernando Pessoa (section)

===Ricardo Reis===

[[File:Athena_Revista_de_Arte N.1 Outubro 1924.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Athena — Art Journal'' <br> (5 issues edited by Pessoa and Ruy Vaz in 1924–1925), published poetry by Pessoa, ''Ricardo Reis'', and ''Alberto Caeiro'', as well as essays by ''[[Álvaro de Campos]]''.]]

In a letter to William Bentley,<ref>This letter, to the director of the journal ''Portugal'', was written on 31 October 1924, to announce Pessoa's art journal ''Athena''.</ref>  Pessoa wrote that "a ''knowledge'' of the language would be indispensable, for instance, to appraise the 'Odes' of [[Ricardo Reis (heteronym)|Ricardo Reis]], whose Portuguese would draw upon him the blessing of [[António Vieira]], as his stile and diction that of [[Horace]] (he has been called, admirably I believe, 'a Greek Horace who writes in Portuguese')".<ref>Pessoa, Fernando (1999), ''Correspondência 1923–1935'', ed. Manuela Parreira da Silva. Lisboa: Assírio & Alvim, p.53, {{ISBN|972-37-0531-1}}.</ref>

Reis, both a character and a heteronym of Fernando Pessoa himself,<ref>{{citation|last1=Jones|first1=Marilyn Scarantino|title=Pessoa's Poetic Coterie: Three Heteronyms and an Orthonym|journal=Luso-Brazilian Review|date=1 January 1977|volume=14|issue=2|pages=254–262 |jstor=3513064}}</ref> sums up his philosophy of life in his own words, admonishing, "See life from a distance. Never question it. There's nothing it can tell you." Like Caeiro, whom he admires, Reis defers from questioning life. He prides himself as a modern pagan who urges one to seize the day and accept fate with tranquility. "Wise is the one who does not seek. The seeker will find in all things the abyss, and doubt in himself."<ref>{{citation
|author1=Reis, Ricardo (pseud.)
|title=Enquanto eu vir o sol luzir nas folhas
|website=Arquivo Pessoa
|url=http://arquivopessoa.net/textos/1980
|access-date=2021-09-12
|language=Portuguese
|date=1927-06-16
|quote=Sábio deveras o que não procura, / Que, procurando, achara o abismo em tudo / E a dúvida em si mesmo.}}</ref> In such sense, Reis shares essential affinities with Caeiro.

Believing in the [[Greek mythology|Greek gods]], yet living in a Christian Europe, Reis feels that his spiritual life is limited and true happiness cannot be attained. Such feeling—paired with his belief in Fate as a driving force for all that exists and thus disregarding freedom—leads to his [[epicureanism|epicureanist]] philosophy, which entails the avoidance of pain, defending that man should seek tranquility and calm above all else, avoiding emotional extremes.

Where Caeiro wrote freely and spontaneously, with joviality, of his basic, meaningless connection to the world, Reis writes in an austere, cerebral manner, with premeditated rhythm and structure and a particular attention to the correct use of the language when approaching his subjects of, as characterized by Richard Zenith, "the brevity of life, the vanity of wealth and struggle, the joy of simple pleasures, patience in time of trouble, and avoidance of extremes".

In his detached, intellectual approach, he is closer to Fernando Pessoa's constant rationalization, as such representing the orthonym's wish for measure and sobriety and a world free of troubles and respite, in stark contrast to Caeiro's spirit and style. As such, where Caeiro's predominant attitude is that of joviality, his sadness being accepted as natural ("My sadness is a comfort for it is natural and right."), Reis is marked by melancholy, saddened by the impermanence of all things.

Ricardo Reis is the main character of [[José Saramago]]'s 1986 novel ''[[The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Year Of The Death Of Ricardo Reis |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-year-of-the-death-of-ricardo-reis-jose-saramago?variant=39937685061666 |access-date=July 12, 2024 |website=HarperCollins Publishers}}</ref>