The landscape, the past and the present in the Drummond’s chronicles

Abstract

Not only was Carlos Drummond de Andrade one of the most important Brazilian poets of the last century, he was also a refi ned prolifi c writer, having produced fi ne writings when it comes to genres such as short story, chronicle, memoir, and news. What is even more impressive is that he worked all those genres in parallel with the writing of poems throughout his life. For the present paper, from the point of view of landscape studies – designed not only as a space, but also as a symbolic construction, as the perceived aspect of space, which is, therefore, imbued with values, beliefs, utopia, etc. –, the aim is to present an atmospheric approach to the chronicles “Vila de utopia” and “Teatro daquele tempo”, both from the Confi ssões de Minas book. In these texts, Drummond reveals the intensity of his hometown of Itabira’s landscape through shapes, colors, movements, and feelings contained in his discourse. By doing that, the writer makes the space a living expression of a time both present and past, and also a kind of portrait of a self that sees and signifi es the represented landscape.