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An Anthology of Twentieth Century Brazilian Poetry (1972)

Bishop, Elizabeth and Emanuel Brasil. An Anthology of Twentieth Century Brazilian Poetry. Wesleyan University Press, 1972. Print.

 

Contents:

 

This collection of Brazilian poetry was both translated and had an introduction written by Elizabeth Bishop. In her introduction, she notes how many of the poets in the anthology were influenced by their travels, their surroundings, and by details. Each poet gets a paragraph or two describing who they are and what their life has meant to their work, followed by a list of their poems translated in the anthology. Some get a few more pages than others, but each poem gives the reader permission to get lost in the beauty of the words and what they describe.

 

Each poem is presented on the left page in its original language, and translated into English on the right with a note for who translated it. The presentation gives the reader a chance to experience the poem twice, in its original form and its new translation. In total, the anthology has 17 translators, showing the reader the scope of the poems as a whole.

 

The book is separated by author, with the poems presented in their entirety, and the translator's name at the end.

 

Manuel Carneiro de Souza Bandeira Filho (1886--1968)

  • "O Ultimo Poema"/ "The Last Poem"

  • "Antologia"/ "Anthology"

  • "Rondo dos Cavalinhos"/ "Rondeau of the Little Horses"

  • "Tragedia Brasileira"/ "Brazilian Tragedy"

 

Jose Oswald de Souza Andrade (1890--1953)

  • "Bibliotecca National"/ "National Library"

  • "Reclame"/ "Advertisement"

  • "Procissao do Enterro"/ "Funeral Procession"

  • "Epitano"/ "Epitaph"

 

Jorge Mateus de Lima (1893--1953)

  • "A Mao Enorme"/ "The Enormous Hand"

 

Mario Raul de Morain Andrade (1893--1945)

  • "Imoroviso do Rapaz Morto"/ "Improvisation of the Dead Boy"

 

Cassiano Ricardo (b. 1895)

  • "O Canto da Juriti"/ "The Song of the Wild Dove"

  • "Anoitecer"/ "Nightfall"

 

Joaquim Cardozo (b. 1897)

  • "Cemiterio da Infancia"/ "Cemetery of Childhood"

  • "Elegia Para Maria Alves"/ "Elegy for Maria Alves"

 

Cecilia Meireles (1901--1964)

  • "Segundo Motivo da Rosa"/ "Second Rose Motif"

  • "Vigilia"/ "Vigil"

  • "Balada das Dez Bailarinas dos Cassino"/ "Ballad of the Ten Casino Dancers"

  • "O Cavalo Morto"/ "The Dead Horse"

  • "Metal Rosicler, 9"/ "Pyrargyrite Metal, 9"

 

Murilo Mendes (b. 1902)

  • "Mapa"/ "Map"

  • "Cavalos"/ "Horses"

 

Carlos Drummond de Andrade (b. 1902)

  • "Viagem Na Familia"/ "Travelling in the Family"

  • "Poema de Sete Faces"/ "Seven-Sided Poem"

  • "Nao Se Mate"/ "Don’t Kill Yourself"

  • "A Mesa"/ "The Table"

  • "Infancia"/ "Infancy"

  • "No Meio do Caminho"/ "In the Middle of the Road"

  • "Retrato de Familia"/ "Family Portrait"

 

Vinicius de Moraes (b. 1913)

  • "Cancao"/ "Song"

  • "Soneto de Fidelidade"/ "Sonnet on Fidelity"

  • "A Pera"/ "The Pear"

  • "Poema de Natal"/ "Christmas Poem"

  • "Soneto de Intimidade"/ "Sonnet of Intimacy"

  • "Receita de Mulher"/ "Woman Recipe"

  • "Soneto de Separacao"/ "Sonnet on Separation"

 

Mauro Ramos de Mota e Albuquerque (b. 1912)

  • "O Galo"/ "The Cook"

 

Joao Cabral de Melo Neto (b. 1920)

  • "Espaco Jornal"/ "Daily Space"

  • "Janelas"/ "Windows"

  • "Poema"/ "Poem"

  • "O Fim do Mundo"/ "The End of the World"

  • "Cemiterio Pernambucano (Nossa Senhora da Luz)"/ "Cemetery on Pernambuco (Our Lady of Light)"

  • "Cemiterio Pernambucano (Sao Lourenco da Mata)"/ "Cemetery on Pernambuco (St. Lawrence of the Woods)"

  • "Morte e Vida Severina (O Retirante)"/ "The Death and Life of Severino (The Retirante)"

  • "Morte e Vida Severina (Encontra dios...)"/ "The  Death and Life of Severino (he meets…)"

  • "Morte e Vida Severina (Aparecem e se...)"/ "The Death and Life of Severino (Neighbors, friends...)"

  • "Imitacao da Agua"/ "Imitation of Water"

  • "As Nuvens"/ "The Clouds"

  • "O Mar e o Canavial"/ "The Sea and the Canefield"

  • "A Educacao Pela Pedra"/ "Education by Stone"

  • "Tecendo a Manha"/ "Weaving the Morning"

  • "O Canavial e o Mar"/ "The Canefield and the Sea"

  • "Uma Faca So Lamina"/ "A Knife All Blade"

  • "Os Vazios do Homem"/ "The Emptiness of Man"

  • "O Urubu Mobilizado"/ "The Drafted Vulture"

  • "O Sertanejo Falando"/ "The Man From Up-Country Talking"

  • "Duas das Festas da Morte"/ "Two of the Festivals of Death"

 

Marcos Konder Reis (b. 1922)

  • "Mapa"/ "Map"

  • "Parametro"/ "Parameter"

 

Ferreira Gullar (b. 1930)

  • "O Trabalho das Nuvens"/ "Clouds’ Work"

 

Numerous editors and translators contributed to this work, including:

  • Elizabeth Bishop

  • Paul Blackburn

  • Emanuel Brasil

  • Ashley Brown

  • Jane Cooper

  • Richard Eberhart

  • Barbara Howes

  • June Jordan

  • Galaway Kinnell

  • Jean Longland

  • James Merrill

  • W.S. Merwin

  • Louis Simpson

  • Mark Strand

  • Jean Valentine

  • Richard Wilbur

  • James Wright

 

Previous Publications:

 

First printed in 1972, third printing in 1988.

 

Critical Reaction:

“Brazil has long been discovered, but its spiritual cartography is only begun, and this anthology is a powerful atlas”

—Helen Vendler, New York Times Book Review

 

"Notable for the original and interesting choice of poems and for the accuracy and poetic quality of the translations."

––Modern Language Journal

 

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