João Cabral de Melo Neto (1920-1999) was a Brazilian poet and diplomat. After moving to Rio de Janeiro in 1942, he published his first collection of poems, entitled Pedra do Sono. In 1947 he was assigned to his first diplomatic post in Spain, where he continued to write. Most of Cabral's life was spent as a diplomat, which afforded him the opportunity to travel the world. Through all of his travels, he continued to write poetry, and at the end of his life, he had published over fifteen collections. He is considered one of the greatest Brazilian poets of all time.