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The Lusiads (Oxford World's Classics) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-25) |
 | | Though in form - rhyming octaves - de Camoes imitates the giants of vernacular epic poetry - Pulci, Boiardo, and Ariosto in particular - he lacks the poetic dexterity which allowed the aforementioned authors to push the limits of epic poetry, not only in terms of content, but also with regard to style. |
 | | While one must admit that de Camoes' subject matter is truly revolutionary, his style is pedantic and uninspired. |
 | | Despite the fact that succor never arrived, nevertheless de Camoes' poem is a quaint little work marking the beginnings of colonialism, the Portuguese penchant for daring navigation, and the subsequent attempt to construct the Portuguese national identity around nautical explorations. |
| www.classic-literature.co.uk /poetry/0192801511/The-Lusiads-Oxford-Worlds-Classics.html (1490 words) |