The poem "Death and Severine Life" written by João Cabral de Melo Neto is considered one of the longest poems in Brazilian literature, published in 1955, portrays in an emotional way and at the same realistic time the trajectory of a northeastern migrant in search of better living conditions, in addition to escaping from drought and death, this is death Social. The work has a dramatic character and a regionalist theme.
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The poem records Severino's trajectory on the banks of the Caribaribe river until his final destination, Pernambuco (Recife), during the journey for better living conditions, he meets other migrants, who, like him, experience a similar reality, that is, the escape from the drought, which is caused by the great sertão northeastern.
During his not easy trajectory, he meets two men on the way carrying a body, a body unjustly murdered by landlords, in this passage the poet writes without subtlety the raw reality against the people of the sertão, the dead man in the narrative is symbolically called Severinus. In another moment the character finds people praying around another deceased, also called Zeferino.
On the way, Zeferino meets a lady, who apparently had a little better living conditions, with her the character tries to working as a farmer, but realizes that death haunts everyone in that region, that is, the only employing profession in the face of dry.
At a certain point in the narrative, Zeferino notices the changes in the vegetation, the softer land and the greener landscape, but unfortunately death is still there. he chases, witnesses the funeral of a farmer, and realizes that the desire for life, for survival, is the only alternative to overcome such death. gift.
With the arrival of the reef, the landscape changes considerably, and Zeferino realizes that death takes place in other ways and no longer by the sertão, but by the mangroves, of migrants who go through misery, hunger, floods, lack of shelter, a true portrayal of marginalization, and with that, it is clear that perhaps suicide is the only way to stop such Suffering.
In this scenario, Zeferino realizes that even moving from place to place, death was still present in other ways, it is at this moment that the character tries to take his own life almost throwing himself into the Capibaribe River, fortunately he is stopped by a carpenter named José, who announces the birth of his own son, that is, a hope of life, a new life that begins.
Neighbors celebrate the birth with simple gifts, commenting that the newborn will have a long way to go, especially in weaving work. The birth is a clear comparison of the Infant Jesus, who brought a glimmer of hope for better times, thus, Zeferino, once surrounded by death, is now surrounded by life Severina.
See too: the fifteen
Severino: He is the narrator and main character of the entire story, a northeastern migrant who flees from hunger and drought, in search of better living conditions
Mr. José, Master carpenter: Character who has a great role, saves Severino from death and shows him hope through the birth of his own son
As we can see Zeferino in the work is not just a name, he is used as an Adjective to represent death and life, the same is used as a name for all those migrants who were looking for a better life, that is, life and hope still present, as those who could not reach the goal, are caught by the death.
The name Zeferino is used to demonstrate that all migrant workers experienced the same situation in search of the same purpose, taken by the same problems and difficulties during the narrative.
This is clearly shown at the beginning of the poem: "We are many Severinos, / equal in everything in life". The word Severina can also be understood in context as something severe, rigid, demanding.
The work also carries a great social impact in its verses, such as the agrarian issue, the drought, the great dispute for land, the hunger, misery, lack of job opportunities, social denunciation is evident mainly at the funeral of a farmer:
"This pit you're in,
with measured palms,
is the smallest quota
that you took in life.
— It's a good size,
neither wide nor deep,
is the part that fits you
in this latifundium.
“It's not a big pit.
it's a measured pit,
it's the land you wanted
see split.
— It's a big pit
for your little deceased,
but you will be more ancho
that you were in the world.
— It's a big pit
for your meager deceased,
but more than in the world
you will feel wide.
— It's a big pit
for your little flesh,
but the land given
don't open your mouth.
The work portrays the condition of thousands of migrants who hope to find better living conditions in the capital of Pernambuco, but unfortunately this does not occur, it is a pastoral building, with tones dramatic. The book was of great adaptation for the theater, cinema, television, and even cartoons.
Spanish realism was a great inspiration for the writer's poetic construction, allowing for a writing with more clarity and realism in northeastern Brazil, among other poems.
Among many other adaptations made especially for the work, it was also adapted into animated cartoons, this animation in 3D, created by cartoonist Miguel Falcão.
The film was released in 1977 by Zelito Viana, a film considered to be quite realistic and close to the writer's true creation.
Other articles:
We are many Severinos
equal in everything in life:
in the same big head
at the cost that it balances out,
in the same womb grown
on the same thin legs
and the same because the blood,
that we use has little ink.since i'm withdrawing
only death I see active,
only death came across
and sometimes even festive;
only death has found
who thought to find life,
and the little that wasn't death
it was from Severina's life.
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