Nicolau Tolentino de Almeida (10 September 1740 – 23 June 1811[1]), from Lisbon, was the foremost Portuguese satirical poet of the 18th century.
[1] The accumulated works of Tolentino de Almeida include sonnets, odes, memorials and satires, among other genres.
[3] Tolentino's satire, which made him particularly known, and set him apart from his contemporaries (in fact, he did not belong to any of the Arcádian literary societies, but was one of the "Dissidents"[1]), is directed at the pettiness of tradition, the fakery of appearances, and the senselessness of certain social groups and behaviors, with a humor that was both ironic and amusing.
The poet includes himself amongst the cooperators of this mediocrity, resigning himself to his own small-mindedness—some of his poems are homages to great people of the time, whose protection and help he needed.
In addition, one of his characters in a farce from 1786—A rabugem das velhas [The bad-tempered old women]—mentions "this new modinha that's been invented now", which sends her grandmother into a rage, eulogizing the past.