The Beauty and Aesthetics of Brazilian Poetry
Brazilian poetry got its start in the Colonial period with poets such as Basilio da Gama and Gregorio de Matos in the 17th and 18th centuries. The poetic style of neoclassicism was influenced by Spanish and Italian poetry. Much of the poetry was written in a pastoral style in which the writer would use the technique of taking the complex life and turning it into a simple one such as showing humility for nature.
The culture of Brazil is very diverse. This is most likely to the influx of immigrants from Italy, Spain, Germany, as well as Levant Arabs, Nippon, and the Ukrainians. The main core of Brazilian culture is Portuguese and the majority of poetry is written in Portuguese. There are, however, many Africans and Amerindians that have played a large role in the creation of the Brazilian language, which also includes dance, music, and cuisine. Brazilian poetry encompasses many subjects, but is still centered around art, nature, aesthetics, and some erotic and political subjects.
The people of Brazil are very much a family oriented people and the society is structured on traditional family values. They are also an aesthetic people very much concerned with the beauty of their surroundings as well as personal appearance. Some of the greatest poets of Brazil exemplify these ideologies through their writings.
Basilio da Gama is a well known poet of Brazil; however, he was Portuguese. He was born in 1740. His most famous work was the epic poem O Uraguai. He was also a member of the Society of Jesus and was a Jesuit.
Carlos Drummond de Andrade is a very respected poet in the literary circles. He was born in 1902 and is considered to be one of the most important and influential 20th century Brazilian poet. His great poem Canção Amiga (Friendly Song) was given the great honor of being printed on the 50 cruzados bill. His writing style is considered to be the foremost in free writing and is considered beautiful.
Then we have Gregório de Matos e Guerra. He was born in 1636 and he is one of the most famous of the Colonial poets. He wrote poetry in a Baroque style. He used a lyrical technique as well as writing religious poetry; however, he is best known for his satire, which earned him the nickname “Boca de Inferno” or Hell’s Mouth. His poetry is published in 6 volumes from his early work Sacra to the last volume which is Ultima. Brazilian poetry is the essence of beauty personified. Many of the poets have concentrated on bringing forth the aestheticism and nature of this country; however, there are many others that are politically minded and this is also on the poetry circuit.
