Neoclassicism endured an abnormally long time, suffocating innovation and limiting literary production. Only in 1836 did Romanticism begin to have a significant impact on Brazilian poetry, owing mostly to the efforts of the expatriate poet Gonçalves de Magalhaes. This movement was short-lived, however, as it collapsed under the weight of its own success. Brazilian literature had its golden age between 1880 and 1930, with the emergence of modernism. The leading figure here was Carlos Gomes, who is still regarded as one of the greatest poets of all time. His work pre-dating that of William Shakespeare by almost 100 years has made him one of the most important writers in the history of English language poetry. The coming of age of Brazil as a nation is reflected in its literature. With the abolition of slavery and the formation of a single-country state, a new spirit of freedom began to emerge. Poets such as José do Patrocínio or Castro Alves used their poems to protest against the invasion of Angola by France and Portugal in the late 19th century. Modernism brought about innovative styles and forms, such as the poem in one stanza composed of three lines of three feet (stanzas), which are all equal in length. This form was popularized by Cesário Veríssimo and remains one of the hallmarks of modern Portuguese poetry.