Book, Slavery in Brazilian poetry, A: from the 17th to the 21st century[LS]

Language: Brazilian Portuguese. "Slavery in Brazilian poetry is the only anthology made to date with slavery as its theme. Covering almost three and a half centuries of poetry, it brings together around 80 poets and more than 200 poems, some of them forgotten and others never published in book form. Alexei Bueno, poet, critical essayist, translator and renowned editor, carried out a difficult and unprecedented task: he carefully selected and organized poets and poems that address the theme of slavery in Brazil, from the 17th to the 21st century. The most primitive and cruel of labor relations it was in force in our country for three and a half centuries, from the Colony to the Empire, and left deep and traumatic marks on the national soul. If slavery had a strong presence in the visual arts, music and fiction, the truth is that its mark was more effective in poetry, as no other form of art has left such iconic pieces in Brazilian memory as “O nave negreiro” and “Vozes d'África”, by Castro Alves, or “Essa Negra Fulô”, by Jorge de Lima, three minimal examples in an immense constellation. Slavery in Brazilian poetry is more than an anthology, it is an anthological essay in which the organizer Alexei Bueno, in addition to bringing together poets and poems, lists essential subthemes in the introductory essay (the overseas journey, the separation of families, physical punishments, revolts and fugitives, quilombos, mythical figures, etc.) and, at the end of the volume, provides entries with a portrait of each of the poets and an analysis of the poems collected here. Many of these poems were never published in books, or are completely forgotten. But Slavery in Brazilian poetry also brings together several of the greatest names in national literature from all eras: Gregório de Matos, Tomás Antônio Gonzaga, Gonçalves Dias, Machado de Assis, Fagundes Varela, Castro Alves, Alberto de Oliveira, Raimundo Correia, Cruz and Sousa, Euclides da Cunha, Alphonsus de Guimaraens, Augusto dos Anjos, Oswald de Andrade, Murilo Mendes, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Ariano Suassuna, reaching the present day, with authors in full action, which demonstrates the literary continuity of the theme . "