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Olavo Bilac

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Olavo Bilac was a famous writer from Brazil.

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He was a poet, a journalist, and a translator. He was part of the Parnassian Triad. This was a group of three great poets. In 1907, people called him the "Prince of Brazilian Poets." He also wrote the words for the Brazilian Flag Anthem. Bilac was a very important member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. He held the 15th chair in that group from 1897 until he died. He is also known as the patron of military service in Brazil. This is because he worked for conscription, which is a system for military service.

Bilac was a very smart student during his youth. He enrolled in medical school in Rio de Janeiro at age 15. Later, he tried to study law in São Paulo. He did not finish either of these courses. Instead, he found a true passion for writing and news. His first published work was a sonnet called "Sesta de Nero." It appeared in the newspaper Gazeta de Notícias in 1884. The writer Artur Azevedo gave the poem great praise. Bilac wrote many kinds of things like schoolbooks and children's poetry. He even wrote funny satirical works and news chronicles.

Bilac lived through many different moments in history. In 1891, he was arrested at Fortaleza da Laje. This happened because he was against the government of Floriano Peixoto. He also experienced a very famous accident in 1897. He lost control of his car and hit a tree. This was the very first car accident in Brazil. His personal life also had many stories. He was engaged to Amélia de Oliveira, but her brother stopped it. He also had a short engagement to Maria Selika. Legend says Amélia remained faithful to him for her whole life.

Many books were written by Bilac during his life.

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Olive wreath

He published "Poesias" in 1888 and "O Esqueleto" in 1890. He worked with Pardal Mallet on that second book. In 1910, he helped Guimarães Passos write a book on verse. This book was called "Tratado de Versificação." He also made a "Dicionário de Rimas" in 1913. This was a dictionary to help people find rhymes. He translated the story "Max and Moritz" into Portuguese. In Brazil, this translated story is called "As Travessuras de Juca e Chico."

People still remember Olavo Bilac in modern culture.

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Olive wreath

He was played by Rui Minharro in a 1999 miniseries. That series was called "Chiquinha Gonzaga." A character named after him appeared in the 2006 film "Brasília 18%." This film was directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos. Bilac loved his work until his very last breath. He died on December 28, 1918. His very last words were about his love for writing. He said, "Give me coffee! I'm going to write!"

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