Poesia Romântica Brasileira

Brazilian Romantic Poetry

Brazilian Romantic poetry is a rich and diverse body of work that reflects the cultural and literary influences of its time. During the 19th century, Brazil was undergoing a period of political and cultural transformation, as it sought to establish its own literary traditions and identity separate from its colonial past. This period, known as Brazilian Romanticism, was characterized by a new literary ideology that sought to break free from the dominant European literary traditions.

European Influences

The Brazilian Romantic canon was heavily influenced by European Romantic poets, particularly those who were popular in Brazil during the 19th century. Lord Byron, for example, had a significant impact on the subject, tone, style, and character portrayal in Brazilian Romantic poetry. Other poets, such as Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Keats, also contributed to the Brazilian Romantic poetry landscape, although they were not as frequently translated as Byron.

European prose fiction also played a significant role in the rise of the novel in Brazil. Translations of European fiction into Portuguese were essential in the development of prose fiction. Writer Antônio Cándido noted that between 1830 and 1854, over one hundred novels were published serially in Brazil. The influence of European prose can be seen in the abundance of translations and serial publications in Brazil's literary journals.

Brazilian Romanticism

Brazilian Romantic poetry began to emerge in the early 19th century, with Domingos José Gonçalves de Magalhães's publication of his first book of poetry, Suspiros poéticos e saudades, in Paris in 1836. This marked the beginning of Romanticism in Brazilian letters and arts. The inception of the Romantic movement in the arts coincided with Brazil's early years as an independent nation, and with efforts to define a national identity.

Gender and Desire

In the 20th century, Brazilian Romantic poetry continued to reflect and define the origins and identity of the nation. Gender, discourse, and desire were often explored in these works. The association of women, food, and pleasure became a significant part of the Brazilian Romantic myths, which were used to explain and define the nation's origins.

Pre-Romantic Tendencies

Before the formal establishment of Romanticism in Brazil, there were pre-Romantic tendencies that laid the foundations for the literary movement. A group of young Brazilians moved to Paris between 1833 and 1836 to study and were influenced by European Romantic ideas. This exposure to European Romanticism led to the establishment of the Niterói, Revista Brasiliense de Ciéncias, Letras, e Artes, which carried the epigraph "Tudo pelo Brasil, e para o Brasil" ("Everything on behalf of Brazil and for Brazil").

Brazilian Romantics

Brazilian Romantic poetry brought together a diverse range of poets, with Byron and Shakespeare being the most referenced English poets in the works of major Brazilian Romantics. Other English poets mentioned include Ossian, Thomas Moore, Cowper, Shelley, and Crabbe. While Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Keats did not appear in the works that feature Byron, they were still part of the broader European Romantic canon.

In conclusion, Brazilian Romantic poetry reflects the cultural and literary influences of its time, as well as the nation's quest for a unique literary identity. The works of major Brazilian Romantics, influenced by both European Romanticism and the desire to establish a distinctly Brazilian literary tradition, have left a lasting impact on Brazilian literature.