Biography of the Poet and Priest
MIQUEL COSTA I LLOBERA
Miquel Costa i Llobera (1854-1922), born in Can Costa, Pollença, is one of the most recognized figures in Catalan literature. With a body of work influenced by the nature and culture of Mallorca, the poet left a deep mark on the literary tradition, becoming a prominent figure of the Renaixença (Catalan literary revival).
The Story of the Young Poet and Priest from Mallorca
Born in Pollença, Mallorca, in 1854, Miquel Costa i Llobera became an emblematic figure in late 19th and early 20th-century Catalan literature. A poet, priest, and scholar, his work is a tribute to the natural beauty of his homeland, as well as to classical tradition, which he skillfully blended in his writings. Costa i Llobera moved between the currents of modernism and Catalan classicism, though his style and themes often reflect a profound classicism and a devotion to the Mediterranean landscapes that surrounded him from childhood.
His poem “El Pi de Formentor” (The Pine of Formentor), written when the author was only 21 years old, is undoubtedly one of the landmarks of Catalan lyric poetry. It encapsulates both his love for nature and his technical prowess. Through his verses, Costa i Llobera uses the pine tree as a metaphor for our own lives; the challenges life presents and the courage needed to face adversities, mirrored in a tree that survives against all obstacles.
His poem “El Pi de Formentor” (The Pine of Formentor), written when the author was only 21 years old, is undoubtedly one of the landmarks of Catalan lyric poetry. It encapsulates both his love for nature and his technical prowess. Through his verses, Costa i Llobera uses the pine tree as a metaphor for our own lives; the challenges life presents and the courage needed to face adversities, mirrored in a tree that survives against all obstacles.
Oh! Yes: when the gales roar loudly and it seems, among the foam, that its cliff might fall, then it laughs and sings louder than the waves, and victorious, it shakes its royal hair above the clouds.
Verses from El Pi de Formentor – Miquel Costa i Llobera
Miquel Costa i Llobera was born in Pollença, Mallorca, into a family of wealthy landowners. He lost his mother when he was 11 years old and spent his youth deeply influenced by an uncle, Dr. Miquel Llobera, who introduced him to the classics and the local landscape, shaping his future as a poet. Despite family difficulties, he stood out academically, completing his high school studies in Palma and studying law in Barcelona.
He actively participated in the cultural Catalanism of the Renaixença, a movement that strengthened his identity and commitment to the Catalan language and culture.
After his time in Paris, where Miquel Costa i Llobera was fascinated by the works of great French and Italian authors such as Victor Hugo and Mistral, he underwent a significant transformation in his life and literary career. Although he found inspiration in works like Odi barbare by Carducci, he rejected its pagan influence, considering it distant from his Christian spirit. This period was crucial in his path toward priesthood, a vocation that had emerged in Pollença and culminated in his move to Rome in 1885 to begin theological studies.
.jpg)
After his experience in Paris, where Miquel Costa i Llobera was fascinated by the works of great French and Italian authors such as Victor Hugo and Mistral, he underwent a significant transformation in his life and literary career. Although he found inspiration in works like Odi barbare by Carducci, he rejected its pagan influence, considering it distant from his Christian spirit. This period was crucial in his path toward the priesthood, a vocation that had emerged in Pollença and culminated in his move to Rome in 1885 to begin theological studies.
El Pi de Formentor (1875) captured the natural beauty and spiritual essence of Mallorca
dominated by a formal perfectionism that became a distinctive feature of his poetry. In these verses, two themes that would remain constant throughout his literary career already emerge: the landscape and deep religious sentiment. La vall (1873) and El Pi de Formentor (1875) captured the natural beauty of Mallorca, becoming poetic symbols of the Mediterranean and vehicles for his search for spiritual transcendence.
Miquel Costa (second from the left, seated) at the First International Congress of the Catalan Language. Barcelona, 1906.
After his consecration as a priest in 1888, offering his first Mass at Loreto, and his academic training in Rome, where he earned a doctorate in theology from the Pontificia Università Gregoriana in 1889, Miquel Costa i Llobera returned to Mallorca in 1890. There, he continued to explore both local and universal themes through his work, highlighting De l’Agre de la Terra (1897), a collection of narrative poems like La Gerreta del Catiu, Castell del Rei, and La Maina, which integrated Mallorcan cultural tradition with popular meters such as the glossa and romance.
His literary influence extended beyond the borders of Mallorca with the publication of Líricas (1899) in Spanish, praised by critics such as Juan Valera and Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo, positioning him as one of the great poets of his generation in the Spanish literary scene.
With La Deixa del Geni Grec (1901), winner of the Jocs Florals de Barcelona, Costa i Llobera explored epic and mythological themes, further consolidating his literary prestige. His work continued to evolve with Tradicions i fantasies (1903), a collection inspired by Mallorcan legends that reinforced his role as a key figure in both the Catalan and Spanish Renaixença. Miquel Costa was appointed a member of the Real Academia Española and presided over the Jocs Florals of Mallorca, leaving a poetic legacy deeply rooted in his passion for beauty, culture, and religion.
La Deixa del Geni Grec, inspired by his readings of Leconte de Lisle, narrates the adventures of Greek sailors and their encounter with the mythical Nuredduna. In 1902, the poem won a prize at the Jocs Florals de Barcelona. Additionally, he was appointed a member of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). These awards were added to his designation, a year earlier, as an illustrious son of Pollença.
Miquel Costa i Llobera achieved notable success in 1906 with the publication of Horacianes, his most outstanding work. Deeply influenced by the reading of the classics, especially Horace and Virgil, the poet dedicated this collection of poems and odes to the Latin poet Horace.
With meticulous language, Costa i Llobera rigorously explored classical poetic and literary forms, offering a set of sixteen poems that attempted to reproduce the meters of Greek and Roman lyricism. His prestige grew when he visited Catalonia, receiving various tributes from Catalan collectives. Horacianes achieved immediate success, quickly selling out two editions.
During his stay, he recited his verses in various places, being acclaimed and connecting with several personalities, including his close friend Antoni Rubió i Lluch, with whom he shared a rich correspondence.
With meticulous language, Costa i Llobera rigorously explored classical poetic and literary forms, offering a set of sixteen poems that attempted to reproduce the meters of Greek and Roman lyricism. His prestige grew when he visited Catalonia, receiving various tributes from Catalan collectives. Horacianes achieved immediate success, quickly selling out two editions.
During his stay, he recited his verses in various places, being acclaimed and connecting with several personalities, including his close friend Antoni Rubió i Lluch, with whom he shared a rich correspondence.
After the events of the Setmana Tràgica (Tragic Week), the poet reduced his literary output and expressed his sorrow over the social uprisings in Barcelona in a letter to his friend Antoni Rubió on August 22, 1909. He published two exercises of Via Crucis (1907-1908) and Sermons Panegírics (1916). In 1919, he was appointed a corresponding member of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC).
During this period, he translated texts by Virgil, Petrarch, Victor Hugo, and Dante Alighieri. Between 1912 and 1922, he translated the Himnes de Prudenci and between 1907 and 1911, the novels Después de la hora nona, Mirarán hacia Él, and Almas celtas by the French author Reynés Monlaur. One year before his death, he delivered his final lecture, Dante Alighieri i la seva obra.
During this period, he translated texts by Virgil, Petrarch, Victor Hugo, and Dante Alighieri. Between 1912 and 1922, he translated the Himnes de Prudenci and between 1907 and 1911, the novels Después de la hora nona, Mirarán hacia Él, and Almas celtas by the French author Reynés Monlaur. One year before his death, he delivered his final lecture, Dante Alighieri i la seva obra.
On October 16, 1922, he died at the pulpit while preaching the panegyric of Saint Teresa of Jesus.
A TIME FOR READING
POETIC WORK
Discover the poetic work of Miquel Costa i Llobera with our selection of Poems.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on news, programs, and events at Can Costa.