Ferreira Gullar: o fogo procura sua forma

Abstract

This study tackles two interrelated aspects of Ferreira Gullar's trajectory: his questionings regarding poetry and his questionings regarding time. From even his earliest works, the gap between world and word is constantly addressed - as is the passing of life, in its fleeting occurrence, into the perennial matter of the poem. This conflict manifests itself not only in his chosen themes, but also in the formalization of the poem itself. At times, the resulting tension between art and life leads to the poet's dissatisfaction with his own achievements. After traversing different moments of Gullar's production, and having commented on how Poema Sujo [Dirty Poem] attempts to deepen this reflection, we conclude that a relative transformation occurred in the poet's last books, when he seems closer to seeking conciliation between artistic composition and the transience of the present time.