Seven Faces: Brazilian Poetry Since Modernism 9780822398011

Citation preview

seven

faces

Charles

A.

Perrone

seven aces Bra z

a n

Poetry

S

Modern

DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS

nee

sm

DURHAM AND LONDON 1996

© 1996 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 00 Typeset in Galliard by Keystone Typesetting, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data appear on the last printed page of this book.

contents

Acknowledgments

vii

Preface: Facets, Phases, Tides, Trends: Brazilian Lyric 1950-1990 xi Leaders and Legacies: From Modernismo to Reactions and the Contemporary I The Imperative ofInvention: Concrete Poetry and the Poetic Vanguards 25

2

The Social Imperative: Viouw de rua and the Politics of Poetry in the 1960s 67

3

4 The Orphic Imperative: Lyric, Lyrics, and the Poetry of Song 87 5 Margins and Marginals: New Brazilian Poetry of the 1970S I I 7 6 Pagings and Postings: Historical Imperatives of the Late Century 149 Postface: Coverage and Countenance 183 Notes

191

Index

229

acknowledgments

Primary research for this book was conducted in 1991 with a Fulbright Regional Research Fellowship and in 1987 with an award from the Division of Sponsored Research of the University of Florida. Preliminary findings were made during a previous stay in Brazil with a PRA grant from the Organization of American States. Since work on this project began, I have had useful, inspiring, and friendly contact with so many poets, professors, critics, scholars, publishers, and independent writers in Brazil that listing them presents a problem, for all the reasons known to those who gather information over a period of years and encounter countless generous people. This result would hardly have been possible without all their help. Those who have assisted me in the present endeavor know who they are and have my gratitude. Almost all of these individuals appear in chapter endnotes. At the risk of omitting anyone here, or of giving any wrong impressions of order, I prefer to give a collective and energetic thank you very much - muito obrtgado - to all in Brazil who lent a hand, an ear, or an eye, from the eixo Rio de JaneiroSao Paulo to Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador, Fortaleza, Belem do Para, and points in between. During the writing stages here, I was fortunate to have the editorial advice and professional encouragement of colleagues around the country whom I would like to recognize: Roland Greene, Randal Johnson, Vicky Unruh, Jon Vincent, Amelia Simpson, and Irwin Stern. Claus Cliiver was very helpful with materials. Since one chapter and parts of others have their origins in my dissertation, I would also like to recognize the doctoral committee again for long-term, as well as more recent, contributions to the research for and ultimate realization of the present

viii

Seven Faces

project: Fred P. Ellison, Merlin Forster, K. David Jackson, Naomi Lindstrom, Lily Litvak, and Gerard Behague. I am grateful to all those artists of the word who have granted permission to reprint and/ or translate their work or titles to which they hold rights. Good faith effort has been made to contact all authors and/ or copyright holders. All unattributed translations are my own. Portions of this book have appeared previously in journals, to which I extend renewed thanks. Parts of chapter 2 and chapter 5 are derived from "The Imperative of Invention: Brazilian Concrete Poetry and 'Intersemiotic Creation;" Harvard Library Bulletin) New Series, 3, no. 2 (I992): 4453. Chapter 3 is a somewhat revised version of "The Social Imperative: The Politics of Poetry in the I960s;' Brasil Brazil I I (I994): 25-51. A section of chapter 4 is based on "Lyrics (Song Text) as Lyric (Poetry): The Case of Brazil;' Ars Lyrica 4 (I989): 37-45. A shorter version of chapter 5 appeared as "Margins and Marginals: New Brazilian Poetry of the I970S;' Luso-BrazilianReview 31, no. I (Summer I994): I7-37, reprinted with permission. We gratefully acknowledge permission for use of the following poems and lyrics: "Poema de sete faces" and "No meio do caminho;' © I996 by the estate of Carlos Drummond de Andrade. "Seven-Sided Poem" from The Complete Poems I927-I979 by Elizabeth Bishop © I979, 1983 by Alice Helen Methfessel. Reprinted by permission of Farrar Strauss & Giroux Inc. Oswald de Andrade, "National Library;' trans. Jean Langland; Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, "Education by Stone;' trans. James Wright, from An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Brazilian Poetry © I972 by Wesleyan University Press, reprinted by permission of University Press of New England. Ferreira Gullar, "The Pears" trans. William Jay Smith; Mario Faustino, "Life Nothing but Language;' trans. Richard Zenith, from Brazilian Poetry I9S0-I980 © I983 by Wesleyan University Press, reprinted by permission of University Press of New England. Adelia Prado, ''With Poetic License;' trans. Ellen Watson, from Alpabet in the Park © 1990 by Wesleyan University Press, reprinted by permission of University Press of New England. Mario de Andrade, "Ode to a Bourgeois Gentleman;' trans. Jack Tomlins, from Hallucinated City © I969 by Vanderbilt University Press. Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, "0 engenheiro;' "Educa