About Brazilian literature: Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) was born in the city of Itabira, state of Minas Gerais. He studied in a Catholic school, where he was banished by "mental insubordination". Gratuated in pharmacology he never worked in this profession.Public servant, partook of "The Modern, Art Week where was drawn the destinations of Brazilian literature. He is maybe the most popular Brazilian, being one of his most famous poems "José". Here is too showed the poem "Love's balad throught the ages". His poetry is based on social critic, existencial thoughts, irony and a good sense of humor.

“José”

What now, José?

the party is over

the light is switch off

the people disappeared

the night cooled

what now, José

what now, you?

you who is anonymous

who mock other people,

you who make verse

who love, protest?

what now, José?

You’re without woman,

Without discourse

Without caress

even can’t drinking

even can’t smoking

you can’t even spit

the night’s cooled

the day hasn’t come

the streetcar hasn’t come

hasn’t come the utopia

and all is over

and all things fled

and all thins molded

what now, José?

What now, José?

your sweet speech

your instant of fever

yuour gluttony and fast

your library

your gold till

your glass-coat

your incoherence

your rage-what now?

With the key on hand

you want to open the door

but no door

want to die on the sea,

but the sea is dried

want to go to Minas

there isn’t Minas no more

José, what now?

If you cried

if you moaned

if you played a

the waltz of Viena

if you got tired

if you died

but you don’t die

you are hard, José!

Alone, on darkness

like wild-beast

without theograma

without nude wall

to support you

without black horse

that flee by gallop

you tramp, José!

José, where?

Love's balad throught the ages

I like you, you like me

since unknown times

I was Greek, you Trojan

I go out of wooden horse

to kill your brother

I killed him, we fought, and we died

I changed roman soldier

persecutor of Christians

At cotacomb's door

I met you again

But when I saw you naked

fallen on the sand of the circus

and the lion was coming

I leaped desperately

and the lion ate both us

After I was Moorish pirate,

calamity of Tripolitanis

I took fire on the frigate

where you was hidden

from the fury of my ship

But when I carried you to be my slave

You did the sign of the cross

And you ripped your breast with a dagger

I killed my self too

After (tranquil times)

I was courtier in Versailles,

Spirited and naughty

You decided to be a nun

I climbed the walls of the nunery

but political problems

Sent us to guillotine

Today, I am a modern boy

I row, jump, dance, box

I have current account

You are a remarkable blonde,

you box, dance, jump, row

Your father dislikes

But after thousand peripetias,

me, hero of Paramount

hug you, kiss you, and we get married

Search : Massaud Moisés, A Literatura brasileira através dos textos,1996. Cultrix editora.

Translated by Marcos Vinicius Gomes

Photo Drummond 's personal archive

"Brazilian Shirley Temple" is censored

This is Maisa a 7 years-old-prodigious girl, the last success on Brazilian TV. She was discovered when she was 3 on a talents-show and since then her face has been seen every week on TV sets. She has a program at Saturdays named "Sábado Animado" where presents cartoons and talk to kids by telephone, and had a special presentation on "Programa Silvio Santos" (Silvio Santos Show) a Sunday-TV show where she played with his "boss" Silvio Santos.

Silvio Santos - pseudonymous of Senor Abravanel -is a businessman and a show man owner of banks, TV stations, hotels and shops of eletronics. He got rich making raffles on TV. Santos began his self made man life as a comb seller in Rio de Janeiro; after this he went to São Paulo and bought his first TV channel during military dictatorship. Today he is owner of SBT network, the third greatest Brazilian TV group. His life and success were always criticized by a part of public opinion and by intelligentsia that consider Silvio Santos a, a demagogue businessman. Maybe it is true-or not. But is known that Santos has a populist mind to produce some of the shows of his station, using frequently vulgar language to get more public to his channels. Besides he frequently disrespect the public, taking off soap-operas and series without previous notice. But what happened with Maisa last May,17 can not be a pretext of authorities to reveal their demagogy or envy, that is usual between Brazilian society - capitalism is still a taboo, and all businessmen are always seen as Dickensian exploiters.

On this date, Maisa cried in front of the cameras on the studio of Silvio Santos Show when she saw a boy wearing a monster mask. This was a strategy to frighten Maisa, of course a unhappy mock that was not edited before broadcasted . This scene caused a great indignation of children rights defensors, lawyers looking for prestige and judges. They request and got the prohibition of Maisa's appearance on Silvio Santos Show. She only appear on her own show at Saturdays.

There would be none problem if Brazil were not one of the greatest countries of the world in disrespect to childrens rights. Recently Brazilian police has been occupied catching nets of pedophiles and persons that patronize adolescent prostitution. What is the problem if Maisa cried in front of cameras? Psychologists have said that Maisa is a happy child, she has good note on school and her family protect her of the perils of the fame. There are another children to authorities take care. Specialists discuss about the use of the children image on TV, what this can represent to their development, what is the psycologic impact that this can cause in their minds - all of this hav to be scrutinized, but hurried statements are not the best way to solve the problem.

Silvio Santos maybe had mistaken in his atitude with Maisa, exposing a little child on a harmful situation, but compare this bad action with other situations of prejudices against chidren related above is incoherent and demagogy, inadmissible in a country that want to protect all the children however their social class. The rest is pure demagogy, official demagogy.

Photo: SBT Network