Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen's 103rd Birthday

“When I die I will return to seek

The moments I did not live by the sea.”

-Poem by Sophia de Mello Breyner which inspired the Doodle artwork

Today's Doodle celebrates the 103rd birthday of Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, an acclaimed Portuguese poet. She was the first woman to earn the Camões Prize, the highest Portuguese honor for poetry. Throughout her career, she published 14 acclaimed volumes of poetry and several short stories, children’s books and essays. 

Sophia was born on this day in 1919 in Porto, Portugal. She was raised by wealthy parents and a nanny who, at Sophia’s request, often read poetry and fiction aloud. Long before she could read, Sophia delighted her family by reciting the works of 16th-century poets. By age 12, she was avidly reading Homer. 

In 1936, Sophia enrolled at the University of Lisbon and studied classical philology. She was particularly drawn to Greek civilization, and often explored Greek mythical figures, motifs and places in her writing. After taking some college courses, Sophia returned to Porto to write poetry and stories.

Sophia published her first book, “Poesia” (Poetry) in 1944. Her poetry often explored themes like existentialism and individualism. After marrying and starting a family, Sophia began to focus on societal issues that would affect her children. Her second and third volumes of work, particularly poems like "Livro Sexto,” shone a spotlight on corruption and injustice. 

In the 1950s, Sophia became interested in children’s books and released O rapaz de bronze (The Bronze Boy). She wrote nine more books while experimenting with short stories during this time. Later in her career, she published her most acclaimed poetry, Dual and O nome das coisas (The Name of Things) — and went on to win the Max Jacob Poetry Prize and the Rainha Sofia Prize for Ibero-American Poetry. Today, poetry lovers can find her work online and in bookstores around the world.

Check out the behind-the-scenes process for

today’s Doodle artwork by Doodler, Matthew Cruickshank