Fernando Pessoa: Aesthetics as Ontology

The poetry and prose of Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), Portugal's greatest modern poet. As famous for his written work as for his complex understanding of selfhood, Pessoa remains a towering and largely perplexing figure even today. Class discussions will focus on close readings of Pessoa's work along with the implications of his theory of subjectivity for our understanding of modernity, aesthetics, and the self. Taught in English. Readings in Portuguese and English.