An Anthology of Twentieth-Century Brazilian Poetry

This book is simply the best source for 20th Century Brazilian poetry. As well-known American poets from Elizabeth Bishop to W.S. Merwin have publicized and translated Portuguese poetry, the Brazilian poets in this volume are becoming better known. Several of these poets have individual volumes of poetry available in English translation. This book contains poetry of Manuel Bandeira, Oswald de Andrade, Jorge de Lima, Mario de Andrade, Cassiano Ricardo, Joaquim Cardozo, Cecilia Meireles, Murilo Mendes, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Vinicius de Moraes, Mauro Mota, Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, Marcos Konder Reis, and Ferreira Gullar. Bandeira, Drummond de Andrade, Melo Neto, and Moraes are the best known of these poets. This sampling of poetry is heavily weighted to Melo Neto who is "difficult" - as noted in the introduction. The translations are very good because the translators are all poets in their own right. Some of the translations are not very exact and the descriptions can be altered significantly, but in general, these translations would be difficult to surpass. The poems are en face - that is on the left page is the orginal Portuguese poem and on the right facing page is the translation. This is the only way to publish bi-lingual poetry and greatly aids the English speaking reader, even if he is fluent in Portuguese. The quality of the poems is uneven. The more recent poets, like Melo Neto, are increasingly linked to American Poetry so you will find the poems less regional the more recent they get. Since I find most modern American Poets to be needlessly dense and obfuscatory ("difficult" if you will), it is no surprise that I like the earlier poems much better. They are clearer, less baroque in the sense that there is less decorative but useless wordiness, and speak more to the human condition. Melo Neto, who the editors call "dense" and "difficult" reminds me very much of Wallace Stevens. Like Stevens, you put in an awful lot of mental work to get a few thoughtful, interesting phrases from a poem that is much too long for the subject covered. (Can you tell I dislike Stevens?) But if you do like Stevens, generally considered one of the great 20th Century American Poets, you will like Melo Neto. My favorites in this book are Moraes, Drummond de Andrade, and Mendes. Poetry is one of those art forms that is as much dependent on the knowledge and experience of the viewer as it is the content of the artwork. For example, when Mendes speaks nostalgically of "meu quarto modesto da Praia de Botafogo" (my modest room on Botafogo Beach), I am transported to the sights, sounds and smells of when I lived in a modest room on Botafogo beach. I also note that the introduction of this book is essential in understanding who these poets are and the ambience from which they write. At any rate, give this book a shot if you're looking for good poetry full of introspection. 4 stars.

This is a great book, especially for the native English speaker who is an advanced student of the Brazilian Portuguese language. On each left page is a poem in Portuguese. On each right page is the poem's translation into English. My Portuguese teacher (from Brazil) is a student of literature. She has reviewed the book and thinks it has a really good selection of poems. Not only are the poems great, I love to read the translations to improve my Portuguese.

Initially published in 1972, this anthology stands as one of the first to introduce English-speaking countries to Brazilian modern poetry. Fourteen poets in all are represented, a few more heavily than others (with Carlos Drummond de Andrade and Joao Cabral De Melo Neto receiving nearly half of the space of the book.) Aside from this imbalance, it introduces many poets who are still unfairly obscure in English-speaking countries, even among those with an extensive grasp of modern poetry. Like any great anthology, it has since prompted a few publishers to release book length works of individual poets, esp. Manuel Bandeira, Joao Cabral de Melo Neto & Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Unfortunately, the poets who caught my attention the most such as Murilo Mendes, Cecilia Meireles & Vinicius de Moraes have not received the same attention due to them. From lyrical incantations & meditations of love through pieces of anguish, they prove that they are just as competent to write on these subjects as the world's other great poets. The multiplicity of voices & styles so noticeable in this anthology, proves that Brazil's modern poetry deserves a lot more notice and consideration.In "The End of the World" Joao Cabral de Melo Neto writes, "Instead of the last judgment, what worries me/ is the final dream." This anthology will provide us with numerous dreams for a long time. Also highly recommended-the recently release "Pip Anthology of World Poetry of the 20th Century Volume 3: 20 Contemporary Brazilian Poets" pub. Green Integer.

Not only does this book (edited by no less an authority on poetry and Brazil than Elizabeth Bishop) contain poems by such greats as Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Vinícius de Moraes, João Cabral de Melo Neto and Manuel Bandeira-- but it has on the facing page translations by such respected greats as James Merill, W.S. Merwin, Mark Strand and Bishop.The selections are neither too much nor too little. If, like me, you are learning Portuguese, the originals can be studied easily. The quality of the English translations is exceptionally high, many of them great poems in their own right. I credit Bishop and her co-editor Emanuel Brasil, whose introduction is brief and effectively sets the scene.In Brazil, poetry is widely respected and read. The poets in this anthology are part of the generation that has broken away from the more rigid forms and themes of Portuguese and continental poetry. Poets like Vinícius de Moraes deserve to be known for more than writing the lyrics to "Girl from Ipanema" (he needed the money). This is their due. This anthology has introduced me to several poets I now plan to explore in greater depth.Brazil is famous for its gems. It is clear this literary gem comes from a very rich mine.

This collection is an absolute classic and is particularly recommended to anyone learning Portuguese. How often are readers of English able to see both the original text and brilliant translated verse? And the selections are magnificent, from Oswald de Andrade to Vinicius de Moraes and Carlos Drummond de Andrade, many of the poets most influential both in literary circles and on the Brazilian songwriters who seem to be more and more prominent on the world stage. Also worth noting are the spectacular poets credited as translators: Elizabeth Bishop, James Merrill, W.S. Merwin, Richard Wilbur...The poems are broadly chosen, from playful to mournful. Many are unforgettable. Highest recommendation I can give is that it influenced my decision to learn Portuguese.