Em Torno da Não-Recepção de John Keats no Portugal de Oitocentos

John Keats (1795-1821) is widely regarded as a main figure in the scope of English Romantic Literature. Although the poet lived a short life, the quality of his work has earned him a place in the literary cannon, alongside Lord Byron (1788-1824) and Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), within the second generation of English romantic poets.The reception of Keats in Portugal, however, took place long after the poet achieved literary recognition in England. There were virtually no references to the poet, either in published volumes or in the Portuguese press of the 19th century, and the first translation of one of his poems was only published in 1915. The poet’s famous odes, generally considered his most influential works, were only translated in 1960.This was followed by an increase in the number of published translations, as well as essays on Keats and his work. The reception of John Keats in Portugal was evidently dissimilar to the ones of Lord Byron and Walter Scott (1771-1832), two Anglo-Saxon romantics tremendously appreciated in the country since the early 19th century. The aim of this case study is, to the extent that is possible, to point out and to clarify the reasons that led to the late reception of this English romantic in Portugal. It is therefore important to draw a comparison between the receptions of Keats, Byron and Scott in the country, as well as to discuss the importance of the French cultural system in the mediation of English authors and works to Portugal during that period.