On the raw and brutal vision of marriage in "Epithalamium":
"In 'Epithalamium,' Fernando Pessoa reveals an almost antithetical approach to the traditional concept of marriage, exposing human instincts in their purest and most animalistic form, as if civilization were merely a thin veneer covering primordial forces."
The criticism of Christian marriage in the poem:
"Pessoa treats Christian marriage as an empty construct, an attempt to domesticate human desire, but incapable of containing the brutality of the instinct, which emerges uncontrollably like the 'naked monster' in his poem."
On the absence of metaphysics in Roman desire:
"By rejecting metaphysics in 'Epithalamium,' Pessoa invites us to see human desire as an essentially materialistic function, where the sexual act is stripped of any spiritual or moral elevation, existing merely as raw biology."
The duality between instinct and civilization in the poem:
"For Pessoa, marriage, in its socially sanctioned form, attempts to suppress true human impulses. However, in 'Epithalamium,' he reminds us that, behind the facade of civilization, basic and primitive instincts still govern human beings."
On the use of irony in the title "Epithalamium":
"The title 'Epithalamium' evokes the Greek tradition of celebrating marriage, but Pessoa completely subverts this expectation, offering a dark and ironic vision where desire is closer to brutality than to romantic love."
Pessoa and his criticism of the romantic ideal:
"Fernando Pessoa, in 'Epithalamium,' deconstructs the romantic ideal surrounding marriage. He not only demystifies the union between man and woman but also challenges us to confront desire as an animal force, without sentimental adornment."
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Eduardo Lourenço (Portuguese essayist and philosopher):
On the vision of marriage and desire: Eduardo Lourenço argues that Pessoa, especially in poems like "Epithalamium", challenges the idealization of social institutions such as marriage, exposing the human being in their rawest and most instinctive nature. According to him, the rejection of any metaphysical elevation is Pessoa's way of subverting traditional poetic conventions.
António Quadros (literary critic and essayist):
On the irony in the title: Quadros mentions that Pessoa, by using the title "Epithalamium", which traditionally represents a wedding celebration poem, is in fact making a sharp critique of social and religious constructions around marriage. The Roman desire described in the poem contrasts with the Christian view of marriage, suggesting a tension between nature and civilization.
Teresa Rita Lopes (researcher and Pessoa specialist):
On the duality between instinct and morality: Teresa Rita Lopes analyses "Epithalamium" as one of Pessoa's attempts to deal with the primitive forces of human desire in confrontation with society's moral impositions. According to her, the poem is a manifestation of Pessoa's"" pagan self", which often emerges in his poetry, rejecting any attempt to spiritualize sexual desire.
Richard Zenith (biographer and translator of Fernando Pessoa):
On the brutality of desire versus marriage: Richard Zenith notes that "Epithalamium" presents desire in a raw and animalistic manner, which is characteristic of Pessoa's style when criticizing social institutions. Zenith points out that, despite its title proposing celebration, the poem is actually a deconstruction of social rituals that mask primitive instincts.