{"id":414625,"date":"2021-11-09T18:54:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T21:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/?p=414625"},"modified":"2021-11-10T13:56:13","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T16:56:13","slug":"a-radical-romantic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/a-radical-romantic\/","title":{"rendered":"A radical romantic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have not been idle during these holidays; rather, I have been diving into my reading. In these short three months, I wrote a novel of two hundred pages or so; two poems, one in five cantos and the other in two; an analysis of Musset\u2019s Jacques Rolla<\/em>; and some extensive literary studies on the simultaneous march of civilization and poetry in Portugal; a fragment of a poem in very archaic language, harder to understand than the Sextets of Friar Ant\u00e3o<\/em>, but of a different taste, more akin to Chatterton\u2019s Th. Rowley<\/em>.\u201d This excerpt from a letter written by Manuel Ant\u00f4nio \u00c1lvares de Azevedo (1831\u20131852) to a friend in 1850, at the age of 18, illustrates the poet, critic, and law student\u2019s appreciation for intellectual pursuits. \u201cAlthough he died very young, at the age of 20, he left a diverse body of work that spans several literary genres, such as prose and drama, as well as literary criticism, and is increasingly relevant,\u201d says Andr\u00e9a Sirihal Werkema, a professor at the Institute of Languages and Literature of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ).<\/p>\n

Werkema organized the recently released Cuidado, leitor: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo pela cr\u00edtica contempor\u00e2nea<\/em> (Reader beware: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo through a contemporary critical lens \u2013 Alameda\/Faperj). The book includes nine essays by Azevedian specialists, such as Cilaine Alves Cunha and Vagner Camilo, both from the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), Wilton Jos\u00e9 Marques, from the Federal University of S\u00e3o Carlos (UFSCar), and Nat\u00e1lia Gon\u00e7alves de Souza Santos, from the Federal University of Vi\u00e7osa (UFV), and is part of the wave of academic studies that, in recent decades, have offered new perspectives on the romantic author\u2019s work. \u201cIn the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth century, when analyzing \u00c1lvares de Azevedo\u2019s work, critics such as M\u00e1rio de Andrade (1893\u20131945) focused on the author\u2019s biography to the detriment of his esthetics\u2014almost as if it had a confessional nature, involuntarily betraying latent impulses. In my opinion, this misconception has put off the analysis of the elements that really matter in his writings, such as irony,\u201d states Camilo, author of Risos entre pares: Poesia e humor rom\u00e2nticos<\/em> (Laughter among peers: Romantic poetry and humor \u2013 EDUSP, 1997), the result of his master\u2019s thesis, defended at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is partly due to views on Romanticism itself, an artistic and cultural movement that defended the idea of poetry as an expression of the poet\u2019s own experience,\u201d adds Cunha, author of the book O belo e o disforme: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo e a ironia rom\u00e2ntica<\/em> (The ugly and the beautiful: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo and romantic irony \u2013 EDUSP, 1998). When it comes to criticism of Azevedo\u2019s writings, the turning point, according to the researcher, took place in the 1980s, especially through the works \u201cCavalgada amb\u00edgua\u201d (Ambiguous ride) and \u201cA educa\u00e7\u00e3o pela noite\u201d (Education by night) by the literary critic and USP professor Antonio Candido (1918\u20132017). \u201cHe dove deep into the work of \u00c1lvares de Azevedo and challenged the way it had been interpreted up until then\u2014as the product of a rebellious and spoiled student, with little to no influence on his contemporaries\u2014drawing attention instead to the literary aspects,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Born in S\u00e3o Paulo into a wealthy family, \u00c1lvares de Azevedo grew up in Rio de Janeiro, where he obtained a degree in languages and literature at the age of 16 from the Imperial College of Pedro II. In 1848, he attended the Academy of Social and Legal Sciences of S\u00e3o Paulo, a branch of the Largo de S\u00e3o Francisco Law School, until 1854. \u201cHe was not complacent about his hometown and even criticized how the S\u00e3o Paulo streets were paved. But, as Antonio Candido stated, his fictional depiction of S\u00e3o Paulo as having a sullen and melancholic mood has survived history and even reached the movies,\u201d observes Camilo.<\/p>\n

Before starting his fifth year of law school, Azevedo spent his holidays in Rio de Janeiro. After suffering a fall while horseback riding, he had to undergo surgery and died, probably of a generalized infection. \u201cBecause of his early death, nearly all of his work was published posthumously, initially in two volumes\u2014in 1853 and 1855, respectively\u2014organized by his cousin, Domingos Jaci Monteiro,\u201d says Werkema.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The response was immediate. \u201c\u00c1lvares de Azevedo\u2019s work came to light at a time of great political instability in the government of Emperor Pedro II. His work, full of skepticism, matched the climate of the time,\u201d Cunha points out. His success was also due to the stylistic innovations in poems such as \u201cIdeias \u00edntimas\u201d (Intimate ideas) and \u201cP\u00e1lida \u00e0 luz da l\u00e2mpada sombria\u201d (Pale by a dim light). \u201cIn his poems, \u00c1lvares de Azevedo used the clich\u00e9s of Romanticism ironically, adopting a tone that was informal for the time, as well as depicting everyday objects and scenes in his verses. The way I see it, he created a standard in Brazilian poetry that influenced not only his contemporary poets, but also post-romantic and even modernist poets,\u201d defends Camilo.<\/p>\n

One piece of work that has become influential is the novella Noite na taverna<\/em> (A Night at the Tavern), in which five characters, after participating in an orgy, narrate first-person reminiscences punctuated by themes like cannibalism, incest, and murder. Its impact was such that the politician and intellectual Homero Pires (1887\u20131962) catalogued, in the 1942 book Obras completas de \u00c1lvares de Azevedo<\/em> (The Complete Works of \u00c1lvares de Azevedo), 79 other Gothic novellas inspired by Azevedo\u2019s story, such as Ru\u00ednas da gl\u00f3ria <\/em>(Ruins of glory), by Fagundes Varela (1841\u20131875), and Pa\u00eds das quimeras <\/em>(Chimera country), by Machado de Assis (1839\u20131908). \u201cBesides making fun of the morals of the time, Noite na taverna<\/em> was a precursor to the horror genre in Brazil. Although horror is rarely seen in Brazilian literature, \u00c1lvares de Azevedo was one of its main writers,\u201d observes Alexandre de Melo Andrade, from the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). \u201cIt is curious to observe how this supernatural atmosphere of imagination and fear created by the writer in the 19th<\/sup> century still fascinates young people,\u201d says the researcher, who is currently preparing a dossier on the romantic author for the academic journal Travessias Interativas<\/em>, with articles by researchers from institutions such as Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ).<\/p>\n

Although it stands on its own, the narrative of Noite na taverna<\/em> raised among critics, such as Antonio Candido, a suspicion that it could be a continuation of Mac\u00e1rio<\/em>, a drama written in fragmented, dialogue form, about a student who makes a pact with the devil. \u201c\u00c1lvares de Azevedo\u2019s work is full of fragments. It is not known whether this was due to his inability to finish his writings with his premature death, or because he adhered to a popular trend among Romantic authors, such as Goethe (1749\u20131832),\u201d says Cunha, who collected the two works in the book Mac\u00e1rio\/Noite na taverna<\/em> (Editora Globo, 2006). \u201cI tend to believe in the second hypothesis, because he was a radical romantic, who took the search for originality to its maximum impact and was not afraid to experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Werkema\u2014author of Mac\u00e1rio, ou do drama rom\u00e2ntico em \u00c1lvares de Azevedo<\/em> (Mac\u00e1rio, or romantic drama in the work of \u00c1lvares de Azevedo \u2013 Editora UFMG, 2012), the result of her PhD thesis at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)\u2014agrees. \u201cHe knew how to be a unique romantic, embracing contradictions,\u201d she points out. \u201cNothing is certain in Mac\u00e1rio,<\/em> and this is mirrored in its radical opening, beginning with a fictionalized preface, branching into two complementary and contrasting episodes, and simply appearing to have no end.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prefaces written by \u00c1lvares de Azevedo for the works Lira dos vinte anos <\/em>(Twenty-year-old Lyre), Conde Lopo <\/em>(Count Lopo), and Mac\u00e1rio<\/em> inspired the master\u2019s thesis of Nat\u00e1lia Gon\u00e7alves de Souza Santos, now a professor at UFV, in Minas Gerais. The study, conducted at USP with funding from FAPESP, resulted in the book Antagonismo e dissolu\u00e7\u00e3o: O pensamento cr\u00edtico de \u00c1lvares de Azevedo<\/em> (Antagonism and dissolution: The critical thinking of \u00c1lvares de Azevedo \u2013 Humanitas, 2014). In her PhD thesis, defended in 2018 at the same institution and also funded by FAPESP, the researcher analyzed the author\u2019s four essays, including \u201cLiteratura e civiliza\u00e7\u00e3o em Portugal\u201d (Literature and civilization in Portugal). With no release date yet, the research is set to be published by EDUSP under the provisional title of Um leitor inconformado: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo e a literatura comparada<\/em> (A nonconformist reader: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo and comparative literature).<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong other things, he was a nonconformist about the thesis of literary nationalism, of euphemism, of green and yellow \u2018Brazilianness\u2019, encouraged by Dom Pedro II and incorporated to some extent by some romantic authors, such as Gon\u00e7alves Dias (1823\u20131864). A thesis that, by the way, won the intellectual debate at that time,\u201d says Santos. \u201cThis does not mean that \u00c1lvares de Azevedo was against Brazilian culture. On the contrary\u2014he believed that a more cosmopolitan view could enhance our literature and bring more complexity to our cultural identity,\u201d concludes the researcher.<\/p>\n

Projects<\/strong>
\n1.<\/strong> A nonconformist reader: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo and nineteenth century periodism (n\u00ba 13\/15809-0<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Doctoral (PhD) Fellowship; Supervisor<\/strong> Eduardo Vieira Martins (USP); Beneficiary<\/strong> Nat\u00e1lia Gon\u00e7alves de Souza Santos; Investment<\/strong> R$166,267.29
\n2.<\/strong> \u00c1lvares de Azevedo: literary critic (n\u00ba 13\/15809-0<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Master’s (Msc) Fellowship; Supervisor<\/strong> Eduardo Vieira Martins (USP); Beneficiary<\/strong> Nat\u00e1lia Gon\u00e7alves de Souza Santos; Investment<\/strong> R$30,153.75.<\/p>\n

Book<\/strong>
\nWerkema, A. S. (org.). Cuidado, leitor: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo pela cr\u00edtica contempor\u00e2nea<\/strong>. (Reader beware: \u00c1lvares de Azevedo through a contemporary critical lens) S\u00e3o Paulo: Alameda\/FAPERJ, 2021. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Academic studies give new perspectives on \u00c1lvares de Azevedo\u2019s work for the 190th anniversary of his birth","protected":false},"author":689,"featured_media":414626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[165],"tags":[245],"coauthors":[3453],"class_list":["post-414625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humanities","tag-literature"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=414625"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":414918,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414625\/revisions\/414918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/414626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=414625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=414625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=414625"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=414625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}