Tomas Iriarte Spanish poet and fabulist, nephew of Juan Iriarte Date of Birth: 18.09.1750 Country: Spain

1. Early Life and Career
2. Literary Works
3. "La Música" and "Fábulas"
4. Educational Works

Early Life and Career

Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa, Spanish poet and fabulist, was the nephew of Juan de Iriarte. At the age of 18, he began translating French plays for the royal theater. In 1770, he wrote his first original comedy.

Literary Works

Iriarte distinguished himself as a translator, rendering Horace's "Ars Poetica" and the first four books of Virgil's "Aeneid" into Spanish. He also translated Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and Voltaire's works. Additionally, he wrote both poetry and dramas.

"La Música" and "Fábulas"

Iriarte's literary reputation rests primarily on his large didactic poem, "La Música" (1780), and his collection of fables, "Fábulas literarias" (1781). His approximately 80 fables exhibit great range in meter and ingenious invention. Written in light, elegant, and melodious verse, they often contained allusions to contemporary writers, causing Iriarte some distress.

Educational Works

In addition to his literary works, Iriarte wrote didactic books for children, aiming to entertain and instruct young readers.