In 1861, de Quental published his first sonnets. Four years later, he published "Odes Modernas", influenced by the Socialist Experimentalism of Proudhon, which championed intellectual revolution. During that year a conflict (which would later be known as "Questão Coimbrã") developed between the traditionalist poets and younger students. The old guard was championed by António Feliciano de Castilho (at that time the chief living poet of the elder generation). The group of students included de Quental, Teófilo Braga, Viera de Castro, Ramalho Ortigão, Guerra Junqueiro, Eça de Queiros, Oliveira Martins, Jaime Batalha Reis and Guilherme de Azevedo, among others. Castilho accused this student group of poetic exhibitionism, obscurity, and generally a lack of good sense and taste. In response, de Quental published "Bom Senso e Bom Gosto", "A Dignidade das Letras" and "Literaturas Oficiais" in which he defended their independence. De Quental pointed to the mission of poets in an era of great transformation, the necessity to be messengers of the day's great ideological questions, and also criticized Castilho's style of poetry, labeling it ridiculous and trivial. This gave rise to the 1865 controversy known as the "Questão Coimbrã (Coimbra Question)." De Quental's group became known as the 70s Generation, but the ultra-romantic group of António Feliciano de Castilho did not receive a label.