Words and Stories. Palavras e Histórias.
This is not really a literary analysis. It's just a gush of enthusiasm for one of R. L. Stevenson's jewels — a two-word jewel that has been sitting under my nose for years, but which I only really saw this morning. In the silence of a countryside morning, a woodpecker is pecking away at one … Continue lendo [Literary analysis] A felicitous phrase
I was scrolling down a streaming platform the other day when a film caught my eye. And it wasn't only because of Rebecca Ferguson's enchanting face — it was the title, which sounded extraordinarily poetic. Despite the Falling Snow. Granted, as a movie title this is maybe not very good. It leaves us confused about … Continue lendo [Poetry analysis] Despite the Falling Snow
It's fascinating to see two literary texts which, though written 180 years apart, match as perfectly as if one author had meant to answer the other. The first text is a prose passage from the novella René, by French writer François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848). The second is a short poem by the German philosopher Frithjof … Continue lendo [Translated poetry analysis] Disquiet and stillness
A recurring theme in European folk tales is that of the woman who disguises herself, and for some time lives as a man. In a German tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, in many of the Old Rus' tales, in French and Romanian tales, we see those heroines dress in male attire, take a male … Continue lendo [Translated poetry] The Maiden Who Went To War
Let's enjoy two particularly poetic passages from Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece
Sometimes we are walking distractedly down a story when we stumble on a passage that is remarkable and precious. It's the case with Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill. The story of the Roman centurion is very enjoyable, but when we come to this piece of poetry, we are surprised and delighted to see a … Continue lendo [Literary passage] A song to the Sun-god
If you are curious about Brazilian poetry, this famous sonnet is a great place to start your discovery.
As a change from our last two English posts, which were about etymology, I thought I'd share here my translation of a sonnet by Brazilian symbolist poet Eduardo Guimaraens (1892-1928). It is very nearly a literal translation, so the sonnet form is lost (I don't think I could translate it keeping the original form anyhow!); … Continue lendo [Translated poetry] A Brazilian sonnet by Eduardo Guimaraens
Beatriz Becker 