The Complete Work is essentially dramatic, though it takes different forms - prose passages in this first volume, poems and philosophies in other volumes. It's the product of the temperament I've been blessed or cursed with - I'm not sure which. All I know is that the author of these lines {I'm not sure if also of these books} has never had just one personality, and has never thought or felt except dramatically - that is, through invented persons, or personalities, who are more capable than he of feeling what's to be felt.
Fernando Pessoa's reflection captures a profound insight into the nature of creativity and identity through the metaphor of drama. Pessoa acknowledges that his oeuvre does not stem from a singular, unified voice but rather from a multiplicity of personas and perspectives, each embodying unique emotional and intellectual capacities. This fragmentation, which he describes as both a blessing and a curse, challenges conventional notions of authorship and selfhood. It suggests that artistic expression is inherently performative and multifaceted, a stage upon which various aspects of the self can act out feelings and thoughts beyond the author's immediate scope. This idea resonates deeply in an era when individuality is often understood as a fixed essence. Pessoa's dramatic temperamental disposition underscores how complex and dynamic human consciousness can be β it is not a single fixed 'I' but a chorus of voices and characters that coexist and interact. Moreover, this statement invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between reality and invention in literature, emphasizing the power of fictional identities to explore profound emotional truths. The quote ultimately celebrates the pluralism of the self and envisions literature as a transformative medium, capable of transcending the limitations of singular identity to reach greater emotional and philosophical depths.